


The Last Mormont

by jashykins



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2020-02-29 16:54:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 48,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18782308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jashykins/pseuds/jashykins
Summary: Jorah Mormont's spirit travels into Ghost's body after dying in the Battle for Winterfell. He must deal with his new life as a direwolf. Making this harder is that both he and Daenerys Targaryen long to deepen their relationship. To make a hopeless situation even worse, chaos erupts as a new enemy looms on the horizon.





	1. Parting of Body and Soul

**Author's Note:**

> Jorah did not die. He is alive. I was not a bawling mess at the end of "The Long Night" because he did not die!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah Mormont fights for the living during the Battle for Winterfell.

The night air was colder than any winter I remembered. But the chill in the air was the least of my worries. The real terror was what would be found in the darkness. Melisandre had lit the Dothraki's weapons on fire which provided the only light as we charged to the Night King's army. Even though this charge was doomed, something I had tried to tell Daenerys and Jon, there was an excitement coursing through my veins.  
  
Ghost ran beside me as if he had bonded with me. However, he was Jon's direwolf and not mine. He was a friend but nothing more and that was more than enough now. The sigil of House Stark was something I respected. The fact that direwolves had been spotted south of the Wall was a miracle. A miracle was running by my side and, for the moment, I felt invincible. It felt as if the old gods were protecting every warrior.  
  
I had been through enough battles to know that the initial taste of victory could quickly sour into defeat. At the beginning of any fight your body was full of energy and fatigue was a distant dream. My mind would not become distracted and Sam's gift of Heartsbane would not be wasted. Even if I were to die this night, I would take down as many dead as possible. My death would bring honor to House Mormont.  
  
_"Jon, I'm not a warg." I said and tried to keep the harsh tone out of my voice. "Not everyone can put their mind inside an animal. Your brother is unique in that manner."_  
  
_We were walking around Winterfell to make final preparations for the coming battle. The battle that not many would come out alive from. It was suicide to fight the dead and I couldn't run from it. I wasn't a coward and the North was where I came from. Then there was also the fact Daenerys Targaryen had offered support. I would always follow her. Even if it lead to my death._  
  
_"I would still feel more comfortable if you kept him beside you in the battle." Jon argued. "If there is any way for you to come out of this battle alive, I'll take it. You are one of the few people able to control Daenerys' more wild tendencies."_  
  
_I didn't like his tone about the woman I loved. Yet he was right. There had been many times I had had to stop her from letting her wilder tendencies roam free. Sometimes I hadn't been able to help, though. She was a dragon and would never be tamed. Not by me nor any other man. It was only a vain dream to imagine otherwise._  
  
_"What if I do die and have to live in your direwolf's body?" I asked and turned my head slightly to see Ghost had joined us. "I wish to serve Daenerys and you want to stay in the North."_  
  
_"We are not parting ways." Jon replied but I could hear the lie in his voice._  
  
_"I don't know you, but I know her. She doesn't appear to want to be with you like before. Something has come between the two of you."_  
  
_"Every relationship has problems."_  
  
_If only I could tell him the secret I was hiding. How I knew she was debating where her heart belonged. At least there had been many years for me to steel myself against hope. He should learn to enjoy the time he had and not to expect anything more. It was her choice at the end of the day._  
  
_"You have to accept that she isn't with you." Jon retorted angrily._  
  
_"I have accepted that." I replied calmly. "All I wish to do is serve her, everything else is secondary."_  
  
We had been forced behind the walls by the dead. Due to it being night it was hard to see the actual enemy. A few times Heartsbane had nearly hit a living man. There had been no time to apologize as the dead were here. Because of all my years of training I was able to fight with hardly any thought.  
  
My Valyrian blade carved through dead after dead. There was no time to think about how these creatures had once been living people. There was no time to reflect on that fact. It wouldn't help me fight them as-I turned around quickly and killed the undead that was about to kill me.  
  
If I hadn't been knocked off of my horse then I would've had the advantage of speed. Though in such tight quar-I was forced to run from my opponents to have a second to think. All the while I ran I killed any dead in my way. Chaos, even the current chaos I found myself in, had a pattern. The Night King was intelligent and so there were weaknesses in his battle plans. Even a small glance inside his head would give the living a chance of surviving the night. If only Bran had given us a greater insight into the Night King's strategy. If only one of us ha-I saw Sam in the dim light.  
  
He had been brave but foolish this night. If he had not been the one to cure me and give me hope, I wouldn't have gone to save him. If he died then he wouldn't risk the lives of anymore of the living. But I had a debt to repay and so I rushed to his side.  
  
I killed the dead that were after him. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a look of exhaustion from him. Sam was a good man with a kind heart, something nearly unheard of in the world. But those qualities did not mean he would be go-the dead would not stop! I was becoming exhausted and if not for all my years of experience, I would've fallen or fled by now.  
  
So many around me were either dead or people I did not know. This battle had become less of a battle and more of a massacre. The Night King only had to wait some time until our forces would crumble upon a soft touch. Why did he not just burn Bran in the godswood? Was there som-I blocked a blow aimed at my torso. A quick turn gave me the momentum to cut his head off.  
  
_"I thought you were lost to me." Daenerys said and wrapped her arms around herself._  
  
_"I will never abandon you." I told her._  
  
_For a reason unknown to me, she had insisted I meet at night in her quarters. A lesser man would've blamed Khaleesi for the jealousy he felt. My emotions did not concern her and I would not go so low as to blame her for them. For the way she was now running her hands down her sides. Her eyes revealed she didn't realize what she was doing. Probably was thinking of Ned Stark's bastard._  
  
_"I thought about you a lot when you were gone." She said and beckoned me with her eyes._  
  
_"I am glad you thought of me." I replied and tried to deny the thoughts going on in my head._  
  
_My dreams had always centered around this moment. This moment when she allowed me to show her the love I felt for her. While she was aroused by my presence there was no love for me in her. She thought of Jon and me. She didn't know who she loved and I wanted her to be sure of her choice. But my body had its own needs and she was willing._  
  
_The decision was made for me when she placed my hand on one of her tits. It was instincts that made me squeeze and had her let out a soft moan. Maybe our love wouldn't be sung by bards, but at least we had this moment. We had now. I kissed her and she wrapped her arms around my neck._  
  
_"Jorah..." Khaleesi breathed as my other hand started to undress her._  
  
The roar of the three dragons broke the monotony of the battle. Viserion who had been killed and resurrected by the Night King, Rhaegal who was the mount of Jon Snow, and Drogon who was the mount of Daenerys. If only I could be up there to protect her but that was a misplaced dream.  
  
With every roar I spared a quick glance to the sky. My view of the dance was obscured by the battle. By every attempt at my life I had to trust Khaleesi with her own fate. She had risen from an object to one of the most powerful people in Westeros. She would be able to battle the Night King.  
  
What was uncertain was if I could win my own battle. With each swing my decision to survive became even stronger. I would see what world Khaleesi made. I would see how she left the world in a better shape than it started. The wheel would be broken by her. Westeros would be swept into a new age by the rightful queen of the seven kingdoms.  
  
Another roar and I turned my head to the sky. For some reason Drogon was flying low enough that I knew he was landing. If Khaleesi was stranded on the ground she would be defenseless. She was not a warrior as without her dragon she was defenseless. She had never swung a sword or shot an arrow. My sword helped me to leave a trail of dead in my wake as I ran towards my queen.  
  
Nothing mattered now. Not my happiness nor my life. All that mattered was I get to her side before the dead did. The gods must have shown me mercy as I was able to get to Daenerys' side before the Night King's men did. Drogon flew away to shake the wights off his back just as I got to my love's side.  
  
Khaleesi was broken in the moment. I wanted to get her down to the crypts but there wasn't time. There was only time to stand and fight. Without warning her, I grabbed her to pull her up. She tensed up but quickly relaxed when she realized who I was. We had been friends for long enough that a simple touch was enough for us to tell each other apart.  
  
_Daenerys was wavering on the edge of madness. At least she took my advice about Tyrion Lannister. As long as she trusted in her advisors she would not fall far. She might become unstable but never to the extent of a tyrant. Not like the North thought she would be._  
  
_"If I may, I would ask for one more thing." I said with a small grin on my face._  
  
_After that one night on Dragonstone we had never again met like that. Though the looks we had given each other made that fact a miracle. But she needed to make her choice and not be clouded by indecision._  
  
_"I would be honored." She replied with a soft smile of her own._  
  
_As she walked toward me I could tell that the romantic bonds between us had deepened. Had formed a tight web of safety. Though it was still clouded by thoughts of Jon. If she chose the younger man moments like these would have to stop. But at least these intimate moments with her would be a memory of mine._  
  
_My hands were much more certain of themselves than during the initial fucking on Dragonstone. Once she was close enough I grabbed her by her hips and pressed her against me. Her hips started grinding into me as I kissed her. My kisses going from her lips to her neck. My fingers ran through her hair as she started to clumsily undress me._  
  
_I helped her so that soon enough none of my skin was hidden. As before, her eyes went to my cock. Guided by her hand I lay on the floor as she mounted me. A smile couldn't help but form on my mouth because of this teasing she was putting me through._  
  
_For as long could I held out on undressing her. I finally admitted defeat and held her on my lap. Gently I took off her clothing so that it wasn't ruined for later. No need to have awkward questions in the near future. No need for the deepening rift to deepen further for Jon and Daenerys._  
  
_Once she was fully naked I covered one of her tits with my lips. My hands were on her back to hold her steady. With each motion of my lips and tongue, I felt more of her juices drop to my cock. Her body was calling out to mine and I would make each of us wait until madness possessed us._  
  
_Khaleesi pushed me to the ground and mounted me. With eyes closed she sat down on my cock and cried out in pleasure. She didn't even finish her cry before she started to ride me. I kissed her tits and rubbed my thumb on her pearl. My growls joined her cries as we kissed. I grabbed her head and her nails dug at my shoulders._  
  
_I picked her up only to push her against the wall. Her legs went around my waist as my thrusts became more erratic._  
  
_"Kha...sss..." I growled and kissed her neck._  
  
_"Jor...aaaa...aaah!" Daenerys yelled as she climaxed._  
  
_Her body kept moving even after I came. We kissed on the lips and then I let her down. Her hand ran down my chest and thankfully didn't touch my scars. These were the moments that scared us both. I with my wish for this not to be the last time and her doing her best to stay in the realm of indecision. Both of us just wanted this moment to last forever._  
  
Khaleesi had picked up a sword and was fighting alongside me. She might not have had the skill of a fighter and I might have had to protect her, but she was never more beautiful than in that moment. She had picked up a weapon and found the beast inside her had awakened. Every now and again I would not be able to block a blow and the tiniest of pains rocked my body.  
  
I blocked blow after blow. Sometimes my queen would make a strike and then I'd have to pull her away from harm. My body felt another little pain and then I killed the dead. I let out a yell before attacking yet another of my love's enemies.  
  
As the minutes passed by I couldn't stand. For some reason my legs had failed me. From far away I heard Khaleesi call to me. Her arms picked me up and I pushed her away so the dead wouldn't get her. I fell down again and she thankfully stood back. What was happening to me? Why did I have to use Heartsbane to stand up?  
  
Before I could think more on the matter I swung my sword as the dead hadn't stopped. My eyes wanted to close and go to sleep. I would allow myself to sleep once the dead were gone and Khaleesi was safe.  
  
Eternity became nothing but blow, parry, and picking myself up. It became nothing but a dance myself, Daenerys, and the dead participated in. Life and death would be decided this night. Who was Bran? Who was the Night King? In my mind they barely registered as anyone important.  
  
Bran was the deadliest force in Westeros. No, that wasn't right. The deadliest force was the Night King with his dead army or Daenerys with her dragonglass blade beside me. She would kill every now and again while the dead feared my blade. Yet she was the bravest of us. Any knight could pull out a sword and fight. Any seasoned warrior could take on many men. But not everyone was so brave as to not have any battle experience and still fight. Sam had been a member of the Night's Watch and had become a crying mess in the middle of battle. He was a brave coward.  
  
Khaleesi looked at me with fear in her voice but I didn't think on that look. This was the first time she was in a large scale battle. Of course she would be looking at me with fear. Another prick from the dead and he again became a corpse. Then three others joined his place. My queen should be in the crypts and not here. She should be protected while others risked their lives. This woman who was insane enough to fight in a hopeless battle. If only she hadn't left Drogon and they could fly away from this nightmare. Though I doubted she would do something as cowardly as that.  
  
One eternity we were fighting and the next the dead were dead again. Suddenly all the pain of the battle hit me. It dawned to me that the pricks that had sent me down weren't pricks at all. My need for sleep was a calling for eternal rest.  
  
"I'm hurt." I said as my mind still tried to registered what had really happened.  
  
Khaleesi put her hand around me and I could feel the hope radiating off of her. I would stay strong until the last for her. Which wouldn't be long. My legs gave way and I fell down. In a moment she cradled my head in her hands and I put an arm around her waist. I did my best to grant her comfort in this dark moment.  
  
In her eyes I saw her decision. She loved me deeply and completely. She was now admitting thoughts that had since been hidden from her. It was not Jon her heart belonged to but me. And now I was dying to leave her with only dreams of an unlived path. She had been at a crossroads and was now looking back with a sigh.  
  
"I love you." I tried to say but no words could come out.  
  
Even though no words had been exchanged, Daenerys could still tell my meaning. Words hadn't been our only form of communication over the years. I looked at her as a strange voice called to me. Not with words but with howls that went through every part of me. Why wasn't a bear calling me to the afterlife?  
  
I saw her crying and then the dark overtook me. It consumed me and for a moment I felt dead. The next moment I opened my eyes to a world whose colors weren't as vibrant as before.


	2. A Knight in Wolf's Clothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah Mormont makes his way back to Winterfell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As an Animorphs fan, this chapter was fun to write.

Why would colors be faded? In all the stories I had heard about afterlives, nothing stated how unappealing colors were. And why was I in a strange land and not on Bear Island? Had I angered the gods that much that they would not let me return home? I let out a howl and I jumped up. Or at least tried to.

  
Instead of having two legs and two arms, I had four legs and white fur. Ghost? I had gone into Ghost's body as my spirit lay dying? My new body stayed sprawled on the ground as I tried to comprehend the direwolf's form.  
  
Besides the faded colors, I noticed my sense of smell was good enough to replace sight. I still needed to see but the scents in the air provided more information than my human eyes ever could. Over time I would be able to learn the language of a direwolf's smell, but not today. Today as the sun came over the horizon, I had to get back to Winterfell. I had to tell Khaleesi I was alive. That I was not one of the many who had fallen during the battle. I feared if I left her side that the madness would begin take over. The madness everyone could sense and the madness Daenerys had been able to keep at bay for so long. She would not become her father as long as I lived and breathed.  
  
I focused on moving my legs to stand up but only succeeded in flaying them about. My hind legs felt so awkward for a moment I thought the knees were reversed. I had to stop focusing on moving a direwolf's body like my own. If I got back before they burned my body I would be able to leave this nightmare behind.  
  
After five minutes of vainly trying to stand up, I rested. Once calmed I could feel all the pains Ghost had endured. The wounds incurred during the battle with the dead including the loss of part of one ear. Maybe the exhaustion I was feeling wasn't my own. Maybe there was enough of Ghost's instincts to help me. I had learned about wargs but it wasn't the same as attempting their feats.  
  
Slowly, very slowly, I stood up on Ghost's four legs. Four legs that had a very different feel to them than my own. They were hardier than my own. There was no need for shoes now. I could run the speed of a horse over rough terrain. I wanted to run now. Was that my fear or one of Ghost's needs?  
  
It felt awkward to stand in this position. If I were to stand on Ghost's hind legs I could nearly reach my height. Ghost's body was like that of a horse so I could've ridden him during the Battle of Winterfell. Yet since my head was closer to the ground than normal, I felt smaller. The only thing that gave me any feeling of strength was the power of a direwolf.  
  
Instead of a sword I had teeth and claws. Instead of my usual sight I had smell. Instead of a horse I had a compass. The idea came to me suddenly once I realized I didn't need to rely on the rising sun to tell me North, South, East, and West. If this became my body then I would never need to be confused about directions again.  
  
Winterfell...I focused on my sense of smell. Though I couldn't see beyond the trees, the castle would be consumed by the scent of burning bodies. The scent of burning flesh is one that never fades into memory. The smell usually invades when you're relaxed and not thinking about anything else. If Ghost's sense of smell was so good, it was possible he could tell the scent from others. I didn't even have to know how to differentiate smells that well because burning flesh was so unique.  
  
I lifted Ghost's head up and I was confronted with the scents of countless burning bodies. They smelled old enough to only be those burned during the battle. I took one unsteady foot forward as I remembered the claustrophobic battle. There had been nothing but the dark and dead. The feeling of the wind against my fur made me calm down. At least there wouldn't be anymore dead attacking me. No dead would ever harm the Westerosi people ever again. Was that enough honor to make my House forgive me? Did it matter?  
  
I took another unsteady step forward and nearly fell down due to a large bird flying by. Due to the sense of smell, difficulty standing up, and an innate sense of direction I didn't realize how good my hearing was. The crow had landed on a tree and was looking at me. I could hear him breathing as well as sounds that had to be miles away. The crow looked at me for a few minutes and then flew away. The sound of his wings flapping was beautiful.  
  
I focused on every sound I heard but couldn't hear a person speaking. There had to be limits to how clearly I could hear things over a great distance. To learn anything about the battle I would have to return to Winterfell. I took more unsteady steps in my direwolf body. How did wargs get comfortable being in another body? It was possible they had an innate ability that allowed them to get comfortable in such situations. Was I a warg or was this a mere accident?  
  
What if my body was burned before I got back to Winterfell? I looked down at my paws. I smelled with my nose. I heard with my ears. None of the powerful traits of this creature would be worth it. My body was me and my spirit assumed that shape. And how could Daenerys love me now that I was not human?  
  
I couldn't start thinking those thoughts now. If my mind collapsed in on itself now then there would be no chance for me to change my fate. No chance for Khaleesi to embrace my body and me to be by her side as she ruled the Seven Kingdoms.  
  
There was no time for doubt. I had to put her out of my mind for the moment. All I could think was how grateful to Jon Snow I was. To think that his idiotic idea worked was a miracle. Either some god wanted me alive or direwolves held a power even House Stark was unaware of.  
  
The only other thought that could go through my head was seeing Melisandre. I did not much care for the Red Priestesses but there had been rumors in Winterfell about one raising Jon from the dead. She must have been able to bring the bastard's soul from another plane. The Red Woman could do the same for me.  
  
The question about Melisandre became if she would help me or not. I was sure there were many soldiers and she wouldn't be strong enough to bring them all back. My life was just one of many. If she decided that Daenerys was connected to a prophecy then she might agree to bring me back. Or possibly Jon would ask on my behalf. He had cared enough to offer me Ghost's body to warg into.  
  
What was the difference where Jon's and my soul were? I hadn't passed to the afterlife. Ghost had called out to me and I had instinctively followed his call. Now I was in his body and using it in place of my own. My own body that had been killed in Winterfell. Melisandre would be able to patch my wounds so that I didn't have to violate another's body.  
  
I walked forward more easily than before. Ghost's legs still felt wrong but at least I wasn't in danger of falling over. Now that I could enjoy his body more I noticed how warm I was. It didn't feel that cold out to the point the cold temperature had slipped my mind. When Melisandre put me back into my body, I would miss the warmth provided by the direwolf's body.  
  
Over the course of thirty minutes I was able to walk at a steady pace. The legs that had once felt so foreign to me became comfortable. It still was odd that they weren't mine, but at least they weren't so hard to use. I sniffed the air and took in all the scents around me. By my nose alone I could tell what animals had walked here. This included the dead. Even if the scent of the dead burning wasn't in the air, I could still follow the tracks of the Night King's army.  
  
I stopped and sniffed one of the wight's tracks. A growl left my throat as with direwolf's senses the dead monstrosities were even worse. No wonder Ghost had agreed to be with me in the initial charge. No wonder he had injured himself in the hopes of killing as many as he could. For a moment the direwolf mind was in danger of taking over. Then I reminded myself of who I was and the fact the dead were gone now.  
  
After a few minutes of walking to Winterfell I decided to run. I paused briefly to feel the power I had over this body. Ghost's legs were now my own as were his eyes, ears, nose, and every other part of him. There was nothing to fear as he was a creature of the North. While I had lived on Bear Island, Ghost had been an integral part of this place.  
  
I had been aware of how fast Ghost could run. He had been by my side as we charged the Night King's army. But it was one thing watching him run and another being in his body as he ran. The trees flew past me as if blown away and I had to react quickly so I didn't run into a tree. It was exhilarating. If there was one thing that I would hate to give up it was this speed. The snow flew away when my paws plunged into the ground.  
  
No wonder direwolves, wolves, and hounds loved running. It was not just freedom, it was fun. I let out a loud howl and wished there were other direwolves for me to run with. Others for me to share this joy with. I didn't care if those thoughts were from Ghost or myself. As I continued to run the sun rose higher into the sky and there was an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach. It felt as if someone was trying to pull me away and I resisted because of the feeling of wind crashing against my fur.  
  
After awhile I expected to feel tired. I had run faster and for longer than any human had before. Yet this body wasn't tired at all. How long could Ghost run for? Unfortunately Winterfell was now in my line of sight. Another day and time I could figure out that question. For now I ran towards the bare outlines of the castle I knew was there.  
  
Soon I would be back in my body. Soon I would be in the arms of my love. Soon everything would return to normal as we prepared to fight Cersei Lannister. Khaleesi would need me at that time as her darker nature would be in danger of taking over. The execution of the false queen needed to be handled with delicacy. The common people needed to see her kind heart and those loyal to Cersei needed to fear her. My love had the qualities to handle both.  
  
I wanted to let another howl out but something told me to stop. Something told me that howling was dangerous. Ghost had been an extremely silent direwolf compared to most wild animals. The dislike of howling must come from him. No matter, he would have control of his limbs shortly.  
  
The scent of burning bodies was now more powerful and I slowed my pace. The fallen had been placed on numerous pyres. Each body had been handled with care as was befitting of any hero. While Daenerys and Jon's names would be known by everyone and the dead's names lost to time, memories of them would never be forgotten. Each of the fallen had made it possible for the living to win the war. I stopped when I reached the farthest pyre whose flames reached towards the gods.  
  
I bowed my head in reverence for their sacrifices. Because they were burning now, the living never had to worry about a monster like the Night King coming ever again. Once I was back in my own body I would learn the names of every one of the fallen.  
  
With each pyre I passed I took note of the toll it had cost the armies. A small amount of Dothraki were burning far away from Essos. If Jon and Khaleesi had listened to their advisors, the barbarians could be alive. Or at least had a more fitting death. It was them that had given my love so much strength. They had stoked the flames that Viserys had thought extinguished from Daenerys. How wrong he had been.  
  
Once I got close enough for people to see me, I stopped to look at the survivors. The direwolf eyes were useless to see how I was accustomed to. I tried to smell Lyanna Mormont but couldn't find her that way. It could be that I wasn't used to her scent as a human and so couldn't identify her while a direwolf. With my eyes I looked for a young girl in the front. Maybe I couldn't find her with Ghost's eyes because she looked different.  
  
After a few minutes of working out what I was seeing, I saw Theon Greyjoy standing next to Sansa Stark. With the odd smell coming from his skin I assumed he had been brought back to life. So Melisandre was alive and had brought back at least one person back to life. She could be resting after bringing Theon back or she could be working on raising another person back to life. Hopefully if Lyanna wasn't here that meant the Red Woman was helping bring her back to life.  
  
A few people looked at me but then went back to looking at the dead. Everyone looked guilty and I could understand why. Whenever I had been part of a great battle there had been guilt eating away at me. Men I had joked with mere hours before were being ripped apart by crows and yet I was alive. The victors of this battle might need a few weeks to recover from what they had been through. Gilly, Sam's wife, was a kind woman and might be able to console them. Sansa was the Lady of Winterfell and men might find it unnerving to speak to her as a friend.  
  
My nose eventually lead me to walk towards home. The smell of her hair and skin were stronger than I remembered. I was more than certain that it was her I was smelling. I wanted to race to her and hug her, but that wouldn't do for such a solemn ceremony. This morning was a celebration of everyone who had sacrificed the most, not my own joy at being alive.  
  
My eyes picked up a faded version of Khaleesi and her scent told me more than vision ever could. I walked up to her which made her look at me oddly. Ever since coming North she had always been looked at as an outsider. No one had treated her as a Northerner. This made sense as my people did not trust outsiders and Targaryens made us more nervous than most. So to have a direwolf, a symbol of House Stark and the North, greet her was more than an oddity.  
  
"I told Jorah he could warg into Ghost's body if his body died." Jon whispered so that no one but Khaleesi could hear him.  
  
With direwolf hearing it seemed as if he were shouting the words and I looked to see if anyone else heard him. But, of course, they hadn't. They were limited by the human sense of hearing. I had never realized how weak my hearing was until I had been put into Ghost's body. It was something I would miss once I had my body returned to me.  
  
"Are you sure?" Khaleesi whispered back.  
  
"Ghost wouldn't walk up to you like that." Jon replied. "He doesn't walk up to many like that."  
  
She nodded but I sensed nervousness from her. She should be excited to have me back as our relationship would only grow from this point. I could spend every night warming her bed and she wouldn't need to deny her feelings for me anymore. Unless...unless Melisandre had fallen and I had only misread Theon's odd scent.  
  
Daenerys wrapped her arms around my neck and cried into my fur. Even though her touch wasn't like it was when I was human, it was wonderful. Being with her, no matter the form, meant more to me than anything.  
  
[I love you, Khaleesi.] I said with my mind.  
  
"Jorah?" Daenerys whispered as if she heard me. "Did you speak?"  
  
"I didn't hear anything." Jon replied.  
  
"I heard something faint, like from a great distance away."  
  
Jon shrugged and Daenerys stood up. The people were now looking at me with wonder on their faces. The Northerners must be wondering if Ghost accepting Daenerys meant they should honor her as one of them. It would be a good political move to lie but Jon didn't like to twist the truth and Daenerys was far too excited at the moment.  
  
"My greatest lover and advisor, Ser Jorah Mormont, is alive." Daenerys said and pointed to me. "Jon Snow allowed him to go into Ghost's body if his body died during the battle. Jorah allowed himself to die only when I was safe. He has now been given the chance to serve me again."  
  
Jon was relieved to hear Daenerys call me her lover? The rift between the two must have been greater than I had imagined. I understood why my love had made her choice, but not why Jon agreed with cheating in this instance.  
  
Everyone cheered and I bowed my head in humility. The question regarding Jon's feelings towards Khaleesi could be answered later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you recognized the 'reversed knee' as an Animorphs reference, I love you.


	3. What Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah Mormont is informed by the others about what happened during the Battle of Winterfell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about no chapter released last week. It has been a little hectic for awhile.

I would never grow used to being in Ghost's body. Yet inhabiting his body for a short while was interesting. The world had become something new as I couldn't see it the same way. Colors were faded and sounds were clearer. Khaleesi stood beside me and her body no longer held the same beauty as before. Direwolf eyes couldn't see in the same way as my human ones. That didn't mean, though, that she was ugly. No, I was still drawn to her like a moth to a flame.  
  
"Say something else, Jorah." Daenerys said in the empty room.  
  
[Hello.] I replied.  
  
The room was where the battle plans had been drawn in what seemed like a lifetime ago and would soon be filled with others yet again. During the upcoming discussion I would learn more about the battle and why my body was gone. Most likely burned, though I hoped otherwise. My last memories in my body couldn't be the pain of dying. Though I would die a thousand times for Daenerys to live.  
  
"Love..." Khaleesi said and then shook her head. "Hello? Hello. When you speak it's like when I looked in your eyes. I understand it in a way beyond words."  
  
I had talked freely and only she had managed to understand me. It seemed true that others would be able to understand me. But it must be a rare ability for people to have, just like the greensight Bran possessed. I wondered if he would have any answers about why Khaleesi could hear me. Was it that she and I were two souls in one body? Fire in one and ice in the other?  
  
[Mormont.] I continued.  
  
"Bear." Daenerys said. "Here We Stand. No, not those. Mormont."  
  
As we had practiced it had become evident that when I talked much more than words were said. Feelings and emotions could pass to Khaleesi's mind without me intending to send them. Just as she was having trouble understanding me, I was having trouble saying anything.  
  
It showed a certain strength that I hadn't thought of my father nor my cousin. Lyanna Mormont must be recovering as she was now the only chance for our House to continue. Without her the lineage of a great, though minor, House would be lost to time. I couldn't say anything that would make me worry about the future of Bear Island.  
  
[Khaleesi.] I said.  
  
"Khaleesi." Daenerys replied with a soft smile. "I always enjoyed when you called me that. There was always a feeling that you loved me completely when you said that. That no matter what I did you would stay by my side. I need that faith now more than ever."  
  
Before I could tell by our connection and her body language, that she felt lonely. That her sadness turned to coldness to make her composure not break. She would not let others see the many cracks in her strong exterior. To me the cracks just made her more worthy of my love. Now I could smell her loneliness. I could smell her fear. It was consuming her and it was only her strength that was keeping the feelings from consuming her.  
  
Ever since she had learned who Jon really was her world had become muddled. She had had her place and now all she fought for was crumbling. I had done my part to reassure her though the news had shocked me. Jon was no mere bastard but the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. He was the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. His true name wasn't Jon but Jaehaerys Targaryen and Lord Eddard Stark had faithfully kept that secret.  
  
"What happens now?" Khaleesi asked. "What if others find out about Jon?"  
  
[Jon has no desire for the Iron throne.] I repeated. [All you need to do is show yourself to be a worthy queen and there will be no need to worry. If people ask him he will deny their requests. If someone tries to murder you to put him on the throne, he will be there to seek vengeance. Don't worry, my love.]  
  
With every word I had had to focus on my intention. I did my best to convey the love I felt for her and the trust Jon had earned from me. The North had messed with her senses to the point she hadn't been overjoyed that she wasn't alone. That she had blood in this strange land. Blood that would follow her to the ends of the world.  
  
"You're right." Khaleesi said with a sigh. "He has never shown me he wants to overthrow me. It was me who insisted he bend the knee for help. He persisted in earning my favor even when I didn't deserve it. And now he doesn't want to bed me because we're related?"  
  
[Jon has Targaryen blood but Stark upbringing.] I replied. [He loves you to the best of his ability. He loves you as much as his honor permits.]  
  
"And would you have stopped bedding me if I were your aunt?"  
  
[I do not have the honor of one such as Jon.]  
  
My love smiled and I did the same. Though my smile wasn't the same as when human. My smile must have appeared larger than before as Daenerys chuckled before she could control herself. I didn't have to worry about her being my aunt or me being her nephew and so I could laugh. I could joke about bedding her even if I knew with no consequence. Jon did not have that option.  
  
"Are they coming?" Daenerys asked.  
  
I focused on the sounds of human footsteps. When I listened there was nothing that was outside of my notice. The same was true when I focused on smells. The world was full of scents and I finally understood why dogs wanted to roll in the most disgusting smells. The scents of the world were intoxicating. At least if I allowed them to overwhelm me.  
  
[They'll be here soon.] I said.  
  
"You don't know?" Khaleesi asked.  
  
[Ghost's ears tell me that they are coming but I can't tell the distance.]  
  
The footsteps became louder to my direwolf ears until the noises became nearly unbearably. It sounded as if they were about to run into me and I wanted to move. Only by the strongest of wills was I able to stand still. Ghost must be used to the noises or else he would be running away from everything. Or was he silent to avoid attracting undue attention?  
  
Once Jon walked through the doorway I had calmed my mind to the point the loud noises didn't bother me. Following him were Sansa, Arya, Tyrion, Varys, Grey Worm, Davos, Bran, and Theon. The Greyjoy looked around the room as if he were seeing things for the very first time. He took a place beside Sansa and did his best to stay strong but I could smell his fear.  
  
"The feast will be soon." Sansa began. "But there are things that must be resolved before we lose our senses."  
  
Daenerys looked at Sansa as if she wanted to kill the Stark. But the moment of anger was gone in the blink of an eye. My love had longed for the sense of control she had experienced in Meereen ever since she came to Winterfell. She looked at me and she became even calmer than before.  
  
"Ser Jorah," Khaleesi said. "Melisandre resurrected Theon Greyjoy but couldn't do the same for you."  
  
[Why not?] I asked and tried desperately to keep the despair out of my voice.  
  
"Jorah wonders why Melisandre was not able to resurrect him."  
  
Had I wasted too much time getting to Winterfell? Should I have taken note of the barest of direwolf instincts before heading to where the Red Priestess was? My new eyes looked down to my paws and the knowledge they were my new feet nearly sent me running away. I wanted to get lost in the feel of the wind blowing against my fur. I wanted to seek out the most interesting smell and roll around in it. Anything to make the despair go away. The only thing keeping me from doing any of those things was the fact my name was still Jorah Mormont.  
  
"She didn't explain that much." Davos said sourly. "She only spoke that her god wouldn't allow it."  
  
The knight's voice was calm but I could sense the anger underneath. The Red Priestess had killed Shireen Baratheon and nearly ended Gendry's life. She had been a voice Stannis Baratheon had listened to very closely which meant Davos' knowledge of the woman was extensive. Probably the only good thing about the woman to him was she had brought Jon Snow back to life.  
  
I had my own theory of why she couldn't bring me back. Jon's soul had been in the afterlife while mine hadn't. It might be that was the reason my body was ash now. It was a blessing I hadn't seen my body one last time as the sight would have haunted me until my dying days.  
  
"Not being brought back would have been a blessing." Theon stated. "It is better to be enveloped by the nothingness that comes after than the world of the living."  
  
"You can't honestly believe that." Sansa retorted. "You're just confused."  
  
"It is never the same after dying, Sansa." Jon said. "There is something wrong with the world once you've been to the other side. I wish I could explain it to you but I can't. Not unless you've died will you know the pains of living."  
  
Sansa looked like she wanted to argue but remained silent. I had never died as Ghost had rescued my soul. But the moment between breathing my last breath as a human and my first as a direwolf had felt like death. There had been a peaceful nothingness and I could understand Jon's statement. At least to a point.  
  
I looked at my paws again and stopped myself from shivering. There were many blessings in being in a direwolf's body, but it would never be mine. Always it would feel like a badly made tunic that kept scrapping at my skin. Maybe it would have been better to have died on the battlefield. It was hard for me to remember that there was another war to fight.  
  
[How did Theon die?] I asked and Daenerys repeated the question.  
  
"I died defending Bran Stark in the Godswood." Theon said with pride replacing fear. "The Night King had appeared and my brother was helpless. If only I had lived a few minutes longer I could've seen Arya Stark kill the Night King."  
  
[Arya killed the Night King?]  
  
My mind must have been too shattered in the moment as Khaleesi looked as if she were having a headache. Pride, joy, and surprise were my most prominent feelings at the news. Pride that one of the North had been the one to kill the Night King. Joy at the thought of Arya killing the Night King. Surprise that after all the prophecies it had been Arya Stark.  
  
"What is it, Daenerys?" Jon asked.  
  
"When Jorah communicates with me I hear more feeling than actual words." Daenerys explained. "He is glad Arya killed the Night King."  
  
I nodded my head to indicate I agreed with my love. Her interpretation of my thoughts was close enough to what I had meant. It would take too long to explain my exact feelings to her as my emotions were too confused at the moment. I turned to her and bowed and she nodded in acknowledgement.  
  
"I killed him with this." Arya said and held out a Valyrian dagger.  
  
I wanted to walk over and observe it with my new eyes. Before I could do something so embarrassing, she sheathed it. Daenerys wasn't angry but impressed. Jon must have talked about his sister to the queen, but it had never occurred to any of us how powerful the Stark girl was.  
  
"You did a brave thing, Arya Stark." Daenerys said. "If not for you then all of us would have died."  
  
"Thank you, Your Grace." Arya replied simply.  
  
"Let's get back to the problem of Jorah losing his body. We should not have burned it unless we were absolutely certain his soul couldn't enter it again. He risked everything to fight for the Living. It might be that we didn't need Melisandre to bring Jorah back."  
  
"It isn't possible." Bran replied.  
  
The Stark child said this was his usual monotone. His voice defied anyone who dared to contradict him. With his vast knowledge it was very doubtful that he was wrong. If the Starks considered me their enemy it would be possible for him to lie. But that was far from likely. Jon was too honorable, Bran too distant to care about conflict, Arya too much a warrior, and Sansa too sane of a politician.  
  
If it had been anyone other than Bran to say it wasn't possible to bring me back, I wouldn't have listened. I would have argued until Winter came again to prove my soul could have been reunited with my body. But even if Bran had the possibility of being wrong, my body was now ash. The last parts of me were either in the wind or nestling into the ground. There was nothing of me to bring back. I was a direwolf from this day until my last.  
  
"Are you sure?" Daenerys asked. "Melisandre isn't the only one who is able to bring back people from the dead."  
  
"Ser Jorah Mormont would not be able to be brought back even if his body were still here." Bran stated. "Now his body is ash mixing with the ashes of other fallen."  
  
The boy had said everything with a coldness to them. No, not coldness. Coldness would imply he was attempting to be cruel when that wasn't the case. He no longer understood the concept of decency. If he thought something was true he would say so. My body couldn't be brought back and it was ash. Those things were much more true than I wanted them to be.  
  
"So we have a man who isn't a man." Davos said with a sigh. "And no means to change his situation."  
  
"Jorah is a Mormont." Tyrion pointed out. "Here We Stand is their House motto. I highly doubt a simple thing like being put into the body of a direwolf is enough to kill his spirits. He fought his despair to cure his greyscale and return to his love's side."  
  
"But what is a man without his body?" Jon asked. "I should have never asked him to warg into Ghost."  
  
"If you didn't then he would be dead." Daenerys replied. "If I had lost him...I don't know what I would have done."  
  
[You would have remained strong.] I told her with as much belief as I could muster.  
  
I saw fear and doubt in her face. She didn't believe the darkness within could be contained without me. But to think that would mean she had no power on her own was insanity. She had the ability to choose to be noble without me. Khaleesi was one of the strongest women I had ever known. She had started from nothing and was now one of the biggest players for the Iron Throne.  
  
"Jorah Mormont still needs a position even while in the body of Ghost." Jon said. "Queen Daenerys, I don't think he would be a good fit as king since he can bear no children. Instead he is well suited to be Lord Commander of your Queensguard. He has the mind of a man and the body of a direwolf, he is the deadliest of your allies."  
  
After being exiled to Essos I had never thought to hold a title of worth ever again. Nothing I would ever do would fully erase the stains I had brought to my House. But Daenerys loved me and I could tell she wanted to honor me with the title of King. If it was bearing children that made royalty, then she would not be fit for the Iron Throne either.  
  
"I will need some time to think on the matter, Jon." Daenerys replied. "Jorah has been my most loyal advisor and greatest lover, so him being my king is what he should be. If I need to have children I will use another."  
  
After that minor information was discussed. The status of our troops and what our next move would be were discussed. But some parts my mind drifted from the talk to my status as a direwolf. Jon had now lost Ghost, a dear friend of his, to a man he had just met. His kindness had incurred a terrible price he was forced to pay. If only I had the strength to deny this gift and bring some happiness to his days.  
  
"I found your cousin's body, Jorah." Sansa said.  
  
[So she is dead?] I asked.  
  
"Jorah is sad over Lyanna's death." Daenerys asked.  
  
"She died fighting and bringing honor to your House's name. We found her close to the corpse of a giant. I believe she died fighting it."  
  
There was so much sadness in me that I expected my new eyes to shed tears. But that didn't happen. I couldn't cry and express the sadness that welled up in me. The sadness over the fact that I had again failed my House. My cousin was dead which meant the last chance to continue our line was now gone. The consolation she had died with honor was a poor one. Why hadn't Melisandre brought Theon back and not her?  
  
"Tyrion fought bravely in the crypts." Sansa said and continued to talk about the Battle of Winterfell.  
  
Others soon joined in telling me their experiences. Everyone in the room had a story to tell about the most important battle in all of Westerosi history.


	4. A Heart that is True

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah Mormont and Daenerys Targaryen discuss their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter made me want to write in a sex scene for it but that would be so wrong. So so wrong.

I sat down on the ground and waited for Daenerys to return from her flight. She wanted to leave now not because she wanted to end the war quickly but because she needed to do something. She needed some distraction. Her conquest wasn't going as expected and her lover was not human anymore.  
  
It was slightly disturbing that the cold wind did not bother me. In fact I could hardly feel the cold as it desperately tried to get through my thick fur. Ghost's instincts broke through to me though that wasn't disturbing. In fact his instincts helped me interact with the world more easily.  
  
I heard Drogon's wings before I saw him. He circled around the castle a few times before coming to land. Khaleesi's children's colors were never bright and blinding. So Drogon's colors were not changed. What was changed was the raw power I could feel from him.  
  
"Jorah, you waited." Daenerys said with a smile on her face. "You haven't moved an inch."  
  
[I am still learning about my new senses.] I replied. [It is easier to do when I'm not distracted.]  
  
"You can fly with me if you want. There is nothing else to do today but wait."  
  
[The sky is your domain, Khaleesi.]  
  
"And you can be my king who rules my domain with me."  
  
To be her king when she sat on the Iron Throne was a dream I had dismissed long ago. With each day it had seemed impossible she would ever want me to share her bed. But then, at a time when I had lost hope, she had decided to bed me in secret. Those times were sweet and would never happen again. She deserved to marry a man that would be able to give her everything a queen deserved.  
  
Daenerys started walking back to the castle and I followed. My feet walked across the snow without feeling the cold. I had no boots on and yet my feet were warm. Since I was moving again there was a need to run and never stop. To see how long I could run until my body forced me to lie down. That's what I should have done while Daenerys was flying.  
  
"I've heard you've been able to talk to someone else." She said as we walked quickly to her room.  
  
[One or two people have been able to hear me.] I said and tried to think of what they had in common.  
  
"Innocent people?"  
  
[A mother and her child did. Or at least her child seemed like she heard me.]  
  
She had heard me say 'innocent people' which must mean that was the connection. Though Daenerys was far from innocent and would appear to prove my theory wrong at first glance. She had seen the world in all its horror and had merely grown stronger. Our connection was romantic in nature, we were one soul in two bodies after all. Even when I was human we only needed a single glance to convey an entire conversation.  
  
Two Dothraki guards stood outside her room as we entered. If I had still been human I would have taken her yet again. Her body smelled of arousal, a scent I only recognized as I had smelled it when human. She must be in so much pain right now and I was unable to help her.  
  
"Jorah, why is it never the right time?" Daenerys said and sat on the edge of her bed. "I could have had you for years and known what your love could offer. To wake up to you and fall asleep with your hands around me. Now all of that is gone unless..."  
  
Her eyes looked at me and I wished her desires could be granted. That I could kiss her and take her tits in my mouth once again. That I could fell the warmth of her cunt around my cock. All I had ever wanted was right in front of me and yet was an impossible distance away. If I had been a weaker man I would've let her had her way with me.  
  
Is that what Jon felt like when he found out she was his aunt? Is this the pain that haunted him when he closed his eyes? I couldn't talk to him about my thoughts as we weren't that close. Only family would dare to ask such questions.  
  
[I am a direwolf, Khaleesi.] I told her gently. [I want to be with you, but I can't. It is wrong to fuck as a direwolf. It is perverted. I will do anything for you, but don't ask for me to destroy the heart of me.]  
  
"I want to blame you for being like Jon, it would be easier." Khaleesi said with a tear running down her cheek. "But I can feel all your pain, love, and desire at once. I love you too much to hate you. I always have. Even at my darkest moments I have never hated you, I had to act that way to protect myself."  
  
[I understand.]  
  
I understood more than I wanted to. I should never have spoken to her when my emotions were full of pain. Yet I couldn't remain silent or be thought rude. Besides, there was hardly a point in life that was free of pain or despair of some kind. I used my powerful direwolf legs to jump onto the bed and lay around her. She leaned back and cried into my fur.  
  
[It feels like I am dead.] I moaned.  
  
"There has to be a way to get you back." Daenerys replied. "I can't have the final memories of you being a direwolf. I need to feel your scruff between my legs once more. I need the feeling of riding you at least once more."  
  
Her fingers went through my fur and I closed my eyes. I imagined she was running her fingers through my hair and I was looking down at her. I was fucking her in my mind. I kissed her neck and she yelled out in pleasure which caused my thrusts to become harder.  
  
[You don't know how much I long to fulfill your dreams.] I said sadly. [But it isn't right to bed you like this.]  
  
"I wish we both were cruel people now." Khaleesi said with a sad laugh. "Then there wouldn't be a problem now."  
  
The darkness inside her started to glow and then faded. These were the fights she had constantly. I knew how dark the darkness could be inside her if she let it consume her. I was aware of the many that could die if she ever became unleashed. I was no fool. Yet the light inside her would win as she would not fall like her father or brother had. She would become a ruler everyone would follow.  
  
"It will never be the right time for us." Daenerys moaned. "Just like it was never the right time for us before."  
  
[You are a young woman, you have your needs.] I replied. [Khal Drogo was the first one to show you any affection. After his death your heart was broken and being with me would have been too much to ask of you.]  
  
"You are far from undesirable, my sweet bear. You are much too attractive for an old man."  
  
Too much of me had come out in my reply. To provide comfort to my love I shouldn't bring up my own doubts, my own faults. I was glad of Khaleesi's desire of me and the need to make love to her became greater. My form of a direwolf became even more painful. We had finally admitted our feelings for each other and now we could do nothing about them.  
  
[I am glad you think so, Khaleesi.] I continued. [It doesn't change that your heart had just been broken for the first time. You needed to fuck without being worried about commitment. You could pretend you loved Daario but that was a lie.]  
  
"And that broke your heart." Daenerys replied. "That you weren't able to help me or fuck me. You loathed him."  
  
[More than I could ever convey. He was cocky which is the temptation of the young. The way he mocked me whenever he could because you weren't with me. My cock could stand your absence, but my heart could barely endure the mocking.]  
  
Khaleesi kissed me lightly on the forehead and I looked into her eyes once she finished. She had just felt the burst of emotions I could not contain within myself. The ones that had overflowed. The hatred, anger, and hurt I had felt while having to interact with Daario. All the things my queen, my love, my Khaleesi should have never felt.  
  
"I should have waited until you came back." Khaleesi said and lay back down onto me. "I thought you were dead and when you came back I should have been open about my feelings for you."  
  
[I don't blame you.] I told her.  
  
"But I do."  
  
There was silence as we thought of where this conversation should go next. I focused on the intoxicating scent of her skin and the sound of the wind outside. My queen had her own guilt that she would have to save herself from. Anything I said would only make her feel guilty for a crime she had not committed. That she could never commit.  
  
"It wasn't until I held your dying body that I realized the full weight of my mistakes." Khaleesi said. "I imagined us raising children on Bear Island. I didn't care about the Iron Throne in that moment. The only thing I cared about was you. In that moment I would've traded everything I had for a lifetime with you. I would have given the gods Drogon and Rhaegal and the Iron Throne as long as you were alive with me. I should not have hesitated for so long and embraced your love sooner. I should have been open about my affair with you."  
  
[I saw that decision in your eyes.] I replied. [I saw that you wanted to be with me and I was leaving you. I left you just as we could finally be together.]  
  
"There is a difference between this life and death. I would rather you be by my side and me in pain than having you dead. I love you so much, Jorah, that I can't express how much. Especially not now when I can't mount you. When I can't feel your cock in my cunt and the sheets against my back. All I have now is words and they will never be enough to explain how completely I love you."  
  
I growled and Khaleesi didn't even flinch. She knew I would never harm her and would take her best interests to heart. She petted me as my growl died down. A growl born from not being able to act on the arousal that I now felt. Part of me wanted to have her touch herself but that was too crude. Our lives couldn't be reduced to her masturbating and me watching. The act of lovemaking allowed such things from time to time, but there had to be a day when a cock was used. The feeling of body against body was much different than cock against hand. A fact I had learned very well in Essos.  
  
[I know you love me, Khaleesi, but I also know the needs your body has.] I said, carefully making sure not too much of my emotions came out. [If you decide to take someone else in your bed I will understand. You deserve to be loved by a man who can give you more than me.]  
  
"Jorah, I have made my choice." Daenerys said and turned so we were lying chest to chest. "I will not betray you again. Another man could fuck me, but they couldn't show the love you have through all the years."  
  
I could hear the honesty in her voice more clearly than I ever had. The look in her eyes only showed me her deep devotion. Her scent was sad but there was not a hint of a lie. By some twist of fate she had fallen in love with me and would never leave my side ever again. This fact should have made me happy, but it only made my mood worsen. If not for her devotion to me she would have a fulfilling life. Now it was as if she were married to an impotent man.  
  
For her sake I would find a way to get a body again. But that would mean someone would have to sacrifice their freedom. That alone made me rethink my quickly formed plan of simply using another's body as my own. Besides the matter of honor there was the fact that no one could warg a human. Once creatures reached a certain intelligence, wargs couldn't go into them. No one had managed to warg a dragon before which made people think dragons could understand more than we suspected. Or it could merely be they were infused with magic and no one had managed to find a way through their barriers.  
  
"Could we find you a new body?" Khaleesi asked. "I am sure we can find one that is similar enough to yours. It won't be perfect but at least it will be something."  
  
[If I now have warg abilities, I am limited by them.] I answered. [No one has been able to warg into a human.]  
  
"And if you're more powerful than a usual warg?"  
  
[I would still be violating someone's freedom. It would be the same as putting them into chains.]  
  
"What if we found someone to agree?"  
  
Choosing a person would be a delicate matter. We would have to make sure they were aware of what they would be giving up. They couldn't be convinced that Daenerys or I was a god. But if we found someone then I could make love to her once again. I could feel her wetness once more. I could see her come undone beneath me.  
  
It was just a dream in the end. It was a lie that we would both believe to make the long days and nights easier to bear. As my way of speaking now included my emotions, I couldn't lie to her. I couldn't temper the truth in white lies so she would feel better. The next words I spoke would break her.  
  
[It can't happen.] I said. [I can't warg into a human.]  
  
"Try." Khaleesi begged.  
  
I knew what she meant. She was granting me permission to take her freedom away for a moment. I looked intensely at her and wondered how I was supposed to transfer my soul into her body. It was as if I were trying to walk with legs when they had been cut off years ago. Yet run was what I had to do.  
  
After attempting to leave Ghost's body I found myself being able to do so. At least to a limited extent. The space outside of Ghost was dark and cold. It was colder than the far North and darker than night. It must have been because I had been dying that this uneasiness hadn't been felt.  
  
If I was a true warg would this be more comfortable? Did wargs jump from body to body with no sense of the expanse they were traversing? I could ask Bran if I wanted to know. There was a chance that if he had greensight, he could also warg. Even if he couldn't warg himself he could look through history to find my answer.  
  
I could now feel Daenerys' mind. She was a place of warmth that promised to be a reprieve from the cold outside. I struggled and crashed into her mind. I tried a few more times before realizing the venture was useless. Ghost and other animals would be my new bodies. I would never again be in a human body.  
  
[It won't work.] I said and Khaleesi pressed her face deep into my fur.  
  
"You can't be like this!" She cried loudly. "You can't have lost so much for me. You can't be damned by my love for you."  
  
[I am by your side and that is all I need.]  
  
But Daenerys could hear the lie. The disgust I felt at not being able to be myself ever again. I liked Ghost's body, but I preferred my own. I would always prefer my own. If only I could be strong for my Khaleesi and allow her to lean on my perceived strength. But that was no longer possible. No longer could I speak one way and allow her to not see the cracks beneath the facade.  
  
[We had fun at the feast.] I said and was able to project happier emotions than before.  
  
"You drank so much." Khaleesi replied with a smile. "Tormund and Tyrion placed bets on if you could drink all the wine in Winterfell. You came close."  
  
[I forget which one of them won.]  
  
It had been odd going to the feast as a direwolf. Yet it was also exciting at the same time. So many sounds and smells to experience. There had been moments when I had let Ghost's instincts fully take over. A few times I had eaten food that had fallen on the floor. It could have been I was growing used to my new body or it was the wine. I believed it was the latter as that made me feel I wasn't losing myself.  
  
"We will find a way to make you you again." Khaleesi told me.  
  
[You have to prepare for that never to happen.] I reminded her. [Sometimes you have to accept your fate as there are things you can't change. I don't like what has happened to me, but I will accept it. I will learn to live in this body.]  
  
Acceptance and sadness were in my love's eyes. She knew there was no hope for her to be in a normal relationship with me and she would stay by my side. A part of her died in that moment and I said nothing else that night.


	5. Limitations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah Mormont spends the day trying to make sense of his situation.

I stretched and noticed I had strange white fur instead of my usual hair. A groan left my muzzle as I remembered what I was now. No longer would I see human arms but direwolf legs. Daenerys opened her eyes and looked at me. She wasn't fully awake yet and I wondered if she forgot what I was each morning.  
  
"The sun is rising." Khaleesi said with a sad smile.  
  
The sun was just beginning to rise as was the wildlife. I could hear birds starting to greet the dawn as well as the Northerners walking around Winterfell. It would take time for everyone to take in the battle against the dead. Some would have had to kill their loved ones so that Westeros survived another dawn. Many would like to be in my situation as it would give them an excuse to leave the world and run away. If not for Daenerys and my duties, I would have done so the moment I was a direwolf.  
  
I jumped off the bed and didn't answer my love. The pain and confusion would be impossible to hide in the moment. She would be taken aback by how beautiful I found the morning to be and how it tormented me at the same time. She didn't comment on my silence and started to get dressed. I watched each motion and wished I was human.  
  
If I had been human I would have had my arms around her and guided her back to the bed. No, none of us would have gotten out of the bed. She could ride me or I would be on top. In either case our cries of passion would have been heard throughout Winterfell. We would have been reprimanded but the feel of her cunt on my cock and the taste of her cunt on my lips would make it impossible to be ashamed.  
  
"Is it that painful for you?" Daenerys asked.  
  
[Yes.] I replied and my love took a step back.  
  
"One day we will return you to normal. You'll have your own body back."  
  
Both of us knew that was a lie. I would forever be a direwolf and be forced to not make love to Khaleesi ever again. I would also never hold a sword in my hands. The teeth and claws of my new body were extremely powerful, but they would never hold the same grace as Heartsbane or Longclaw. There might be many battles for me in the future and all of them fought without a sword.  
  
"How does a direwolf fuck?" Daenerys asked. "You can...find release that way."  
  
[That is bestiality, my love.] I replied. [Even if it didn't cross lines, the other wolf would not be you. It would not feel the same to me.]  
  
"You're right, that's wrong."  
  
A look of shame graced her face as she finished putting on her outfit. It was much different than anything she had ever worn in Essos. The outfit had white fur with patches of red as if she had been harmed yet was still fighting. Daenerys was that strong to never give up. And if she did, it would not be easy for her. She would be strong for herself, me, her friends, and the rest of Westeros. She was a queen worthy to follow.  
  
I walked beside her as she went to the Great Hall to eat. Those walking by glanced at me and I tried to act unaffected by their attention. With my direwolf exterior, it was certain they wouldn't be able to tell how much their glances affected me. They reminded me how alone in the world I really was. There was no one else to talk to about how hard my days were. No one could understand the panic that threatened to ruin me.  
  
Breakfast was a small meal of a bland stew. Humans could survive on that meal but myself and dragons couldn't. We needed meat. I couldn't tell if the decision had been reached by actual knowledge or pity. While Khaleesi ate out of a bowl with a spoon, my food was put on the floor. The servant bowed deeply and walked away.  
  
I tried to eat the meat but found it slipping just enough to make it near impossible to eat. I would have preferred that form of eating as it showed others that underneath the fur I was human. However, I relented and put a paw on the meat to steady it enough so I could eat. Every meal I tried my way of eating but each attempt ended like this.  
  
The meat didn't have the same taste as if I were human. It was different and not just because it was raw. The differences made it extremely flavorful in a different way. It felt good tearing into the meat and ripping parts of it off with my teeth. In this moment I felt satisfied as a wolf. There was no doubt in me as I consumed each piece. In a few hours this memory would make me shiver.  
  
"I think Ser Jorah should spend the time walking around." Jon said. "He should get used to what he is now and not have to worry about duties."  
  
[I am grateful, Jon.] I replied as I ripped more meat off.  
  
"Jorah is grateful for the offer, Jon, and he will accept." Daenerys translated. "He is also sorry about taking Ghost from you."  
  
"I rather you have Jorah than I Ghost." Jon answered.  
  
There was a slight edge to his voice. It was as if he thought I were a shield to Daenerys' madness taking control. Jon was right in that there was a dangerous madness inside our queen. What he was wrong about was the madness taking over. Even though I was changed, I would still control the wilder parts of her. Jon, Sansa, and others would see that they had nothing to fear from the Targaryen. That they were all foolish children screaming about a light snowfall.  
  
I couldn't join in the majority of the talk and so politely excused myself. Once the cold air was on my face I wondered what I should do. Today was a day to myself and could help me learn more about a direwolf's body. I didn't know where to begin. Everything I knew now made me able to function, but nothing felt natural. Should I expand on what I could do or focus on my current abilities?  
  
"Cold day out, isn't it?" Tyrion asked as he walked up beside me. "Not that you would notice. Sometimes it feels as though Northerners were born with thick wolf belts. Or bear pelts, in your case. Direwolf now."  
  
Part of me could admire how the Lannister was attempting to make me feel normal. That he was including me in a joke that he would make about anyone. At times, like this one, I wondered if he felt more than he let on. If the humor was his armor of hiding his true feelings to the world. I didn't blame him as he was the most hated Lannister in his family.  
  
Unfortunately he was still grating. Though, to be honest, I was now annoyed at him merely because it had become a habit. It was a comfortable routine we had fallen into. We both had our parts to play but it didn't stop our admiration for the other. Not that I would ever say to his face that he was not half as annoying as he first appeared.  
  
"Somehow you scowl much better as a human that a direwolf." Tyrion said as I barred my teeth. "Not that direwolves aren't frightening."  
  
I walked away and he followed. I hated his presence but, at the same time, it was also reassuring. My body was new but his talk was familiar. Something to hang onto just like Khaleesi, but more annoying.  
  
"I'm going to imagine if you were talking that you'd make some remark about me." Tyrion said. "Or possibly try to gag me with whatever was available."  
  
His eyes scanned the area as if he were truly considering what I'd use to gag him. Me being in Ghost's body made no difference in what I'd say to him. Even if I were still human I would remain silent. Thus making my reaction to him even more of a reminder that I was still me. I was still Ser Jorah Mormont. Just because I had paws and a muzzle didn't mean I was lost. Though this might be my body until death, I was still me.  
  
"Tyrion Lannister?" A woman called out. "The Targaryen requests your presence."  
  
"Jora-" Tyrion and then stopped when I growled. "I will see you later, then."  
  
We were friends but it was an unstated thing. It would be an embarrassment if word got out that I could stand him. Only to Daenerys would I ever admit a hint of admiration for the Imp. When I had gone north of the Wall to get a wight, he had given me a coin that showed he did care about my safety. He had also said Khaleesi needed me. Did he, like Jon, believe I was the only one keeping her from her darker side? That she had no strength of her own?  
  
After a minute of wandering I decided where I was going to go. Maybe being in the godswood would help me figure out my new reality. A god could be listening and tell me what a person in my position should do. Yes, I needed answers. For no reason at all I ran towards my destination. It helped me calm down as I pushed my direwolf body to its limits. Even after I had run through the godswood to end up at the heart tree my breathing hadn't even become heavy and that fact made me extremely happy.  
  
I sat in front of the hearts tree and listened in case a god spoke. I focused my attention on all the sounds, sights, and smells that were available to me. For what must have been an hour, no deity spoke to me. I couldn't leave this place without speaking to someone.  
  
[Why am I like this?] I begged.  
  
In my mind appeared a series of images. The Night King screaming out as he failed. A cloud of darkness with a red eye in the center of it. Bran Stark screaming in pain. Then a blinding light as all the images were burned with fire.  
  
I nearly collapsed. The images made no sense to me. In my confusion I nearly missed the sound of someone pushing Bran to the hearts tree. Of course he would be here as he needed weirwood to access his greenseer abilities. There was silence as the servant pushed him inches away from the weirwood tree. She bowed and then left us.  
  
"I can hear you." Bran said. "Though not as clearly as Daenerys Targaryen."  
  
[Why haven't you spoken up before?] I asked.  
  
"There was no need. I figured my intrusion would just cause more problems for you."  
  
[You could have quelled my fears.]  
  
"My answers would just bring with them more questions. You weren't ready."  
  
Bran was being extremely talkative. It was as though he felt my hurt and wanted to help. He had also undergone a transformation that made him unlike his past self. The former Bran Stark appeared to have been destroyed by his life experiences. He was strong to still hold his head high even after all he had been through.  
  
[I am ready now.] I told him.  
  
Bran looked at the heart tree and was silent. I realized I needed to relieve myself and walked out of sight of the Stark. A real direwolf would not have minded peeing in front of a person, but I was still human. It would embarrass me greatly if I relieved myself in front of a person I admired.  
  
After I was done I sat in front of Bran. His look was hard to read but it seemed like he was amused by me. He must have seen millennia of battles so someone peeing in front of him wouldn't move him in any way.  
  
"You should be honored to have the body of a direwolf." Bran said. "They are noble creatures and do many things better than people. They look after their own and rarely abandon their children. There are so few instances of that occurring in time, it is as if they never do."  
  
[I will say nothing against the noble direwolf,] I replied. [But I prefer my own body.]  
  
"But why? You were weaker as a human. You must have already realized how much a direwolf can endure."  
  
Bran's reassurance did not make me feel better. I was Ser Jorah Mormont of Bear Island. I was the former Lord of Bear Island and advisor to Daenerys Targaryen. All my life I had had my body and no one else's. While he had changed over the course of his life, he could always return to his body. He could fly in the bodies of ravens and return to his life of a cripple. If I had been crippled it might be that I'd love my life more in the body of Ghost.  
  
[I thank you for your reassurance, Bran Stark, but I belong in my own body.] I replied.  
  
"Are you saying that because you want to be in pain?" Bran asked. "Do you feel that if you hold onto your old life then your situation will make more sense?"  
  
His hand wasn't even on the weirwood which meant he didn't have to seek out the truth about me. He knew. It could be possible that he had gone through such debates when he was first crippled. Bran's life before must have been filled with promises of a great life where nothing could stop him. He would have learned archery and sword play. Then he fell from the tower and his world changed.  
  
"You are stronger as a direwolf rather than your old self." Bran continued. "You are able to travel vast distances without needing to catch your breath. On your own four feet you could go thirty miles in one day. You wouldn't need to depend on horses. You have lost the ability to fight with a sword but you have gained other weapons. You have become all that the North strives to be. You should be proud, Jorah, to be in the body that best suits your spirit."  
  
The young Stark's voice was extremely monotone. I was certain that before he had had a lively voice. That his inflections were many and he could express joy. But in the present his voice hardly offered up any sign that he was happy or sad, for instance. Yet now his voice was happier than I had ever heard it. His scent indicated he was happy and I wondered why he wasn't concerned about my predicament. Was he so far gone that he had forgotten how connected people were to their bodies? Why did that worry me?  
  
[I am Ser Jorah Mormont.] I said as confidently as I could. [I know who and what I am. I am a human and will always be so. Even if I liked being a direwolf, there is the fact that this body does not belong to me. Ghost still exists in some distant corner. I can't take away his freedom forever. It is not right. I should have died defending Daenerys Stormborn. This life is a hell.]  
  
"One day you won't think so." Bran replied. "You will enjoy the life you find yourself in. We can become very good friends that day."  
  
[And before?]  
  
"You still have to win the battles inside your head. But your journey will lead you to a life of comfort."  
  
[You've seen it?]  
  
"I have."  
  
I didn't want to agree with him but it was hard to argue with him. He had been right before that my reluctance to rebel against my situation was due to comfort. I had to learn to become comfortable with my new life even if eventually Khaleesi would need to seek out the bed of another man to satiate her needs. Even as the world I knew became more distant. But wasn't that what life was? An endless journey into the unknown ending with death?  
  
In my anguish I didn't announce my departure until leaving. I ran again and headed towards the gates. I needed to run as far as I could so I'd be too tired to mourn my life. It had become easier to act upon my direwolf instincts. A group of people had gathered and were mourning the losses of their loved ones.  
  
A few people jumped out of my way when they could've stayed still. Their movement actually made it hard for me to navigate and I held back a growl. While Daenerys and Tyrion knew not to fear me, I didn't trust the commoners to be so calm. Their scent was so full of sorrow that I had a more intense drive to run even faster. My direwolf legs becoming nearly a blur.  
  
After the first three miles I thought my body would start to slow down. But it didn't. As long as I kept the same steady pace it felt like I could run forever. I heard the dragons fly overhead and looked up to see Rhaegal fly low enough so he could see me. He seemed concerned and then he went up to play with Drogon.  
  
I felt a slight bit of tiredness come over me after running many miles. It was my day and so I decided to rest before heading back to the castle. I was far enough that my ears couldn't pick up even the loudest sounds from Winterfell. No one could come to bother me. Even though I felt calm I kept alert for any danger. My new body wouldn't allow me to fully relax which made staying alert extremely easy.  
  
For hours I stayed in the same spot until I felt rested enough to head back.


	6. The Training Fields

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah Mormont and Podrick oversee a practice session between Northerners and Dothraki.

I had begun to walk with direwolf legs as if I had been born with them. As if there hadn't been a day of my life when I had been human. Becoming more used to my new body made me feel uneasy as if I were losing myself. If I was comfortable walking what would happen to other things in my life? Would I begin to loathe everything that had once made me human? Was Bran's comfort in being the Three-Eyed Raven the reason he could so callously tell me I should be honored about being a direwolf?  
  
Then there was the fact my vision in the godswood haunted me. I hadn't told anyone, not even Khaleesi. There was something about the images that made me want to pretend they were just an illusion. But they felt too real to be just part of my panicked mind. I should ask Bran or Sam to decipher the images in my head. Yet something told me not to tell the enigmatic Stark. I didn't know why as I trusted him.  
  
"Ser Jorah, what will you want the troops to practice today?" Podrick asked me.  
  
[I don't know.] I replied. [Let's focus on getting the Dothraki comfortable fighting alongside the Northerners. They hardly fought side by side during the Battle of Winterfell.]  
  
"I...I'm sorry you had to die. I'm sorry you feel life isn't worthy living anymore."  
  
Unlike many others, Brienne's squire was extremely empathetic. His skills with the sword had improved over time and so had his heart. Something simple remained even after he had battled with the dead. At moments I felt uneasy with him being one of the few that could hear me. I didn't like his pity as he was nothing but a stranger to me. Khaleesi showing me pity was to be expected when her lover was in such a depressing situation.  
  
I wanted to tell Podrick to not feel sorry for me. To not have such pity in his eyes for me. He was showing a lot of admiration for a man that had sold people into slavery and had run into exile. It was only with fighting against the dead that he could begin to learn about the goodness in me. I wondered if he had forgiven me because of my valor or if it was just his innate nature.  
  
[Gather the Dothraki and as many Northern soldiers as you can find.] I said and worried more of my distress was getting to him. [I'll meet you outside Winterfell.]  
  
"Yes, Ser." Podrick replied and raced off to get the men.  
  
I walked slowly out of Winterfell. I allowed my nose to focus on every scent it could find. It would take time to understand every scent, but at least I had time to learn. Hopefully it would take me many more years to figure everything out so I could pretend to be human during the darkest of nights. Daenerys would have to take another lover some day and during those nights I would be far away from the Red Keep. Direwolf ears didn't miss much, after all.  
  
My path soon took me to where the burning pyres had been a few days ago. The scent of burning bodies was still thick in the air for me. I doubted others would notice the thick smell. It took a few minutes before Dothraki and Northerners lead by Podrick approached me. The nomads knew I was the lover of their Khaleesi and one who had a stronger bond with her than Daario Naharis ever would. I heard some of them had debated calling me Khal. The decision had been to let Daenerys confirm my title before saying anything.  
  
[Podrick, tell them that I want to make sure they fight well together when we take King's Landing.] I said. [I want to make sure they can fight together and understand each other. I don't want there to be any mistakes.]  
  
"Ser Jorah Mormont is impressed by how you fought in the Battle of Winterfell." Podrick said and tried to appear stronger by crossing his arms over his chest. "But he is unsure if you could fight side by side when taking King's Landing. He understands that Dothraki culture involves...involves raping. He also knows that Northerners can do the same thing, but to a lesser degree. He is afraid that will get out of ha-wait, that's not what he wanted me to tell you...he wants me to say you'll be practicing together to become a stronger fighting force when we take King's Landing."  
  
Podrick looked absolutely ashamed that he had made such a mistake. He looked to me as if I could tell him how to correct his mistake. I just looked at him as the words had been said and couldn't be taken back. I hadn't realized just how much I was thinking of the raping that could take place during a siege. The raping that usually took place to the dismay of myself and all others that could keep control of themselves. When blood was spilt it turned men into the most pathetic of animals.  
  
The Dothraki that had learned the common tongue translated to those who hadn't. The horse lords didn't even flinch when raping was brought up. They most likely thought of Podrick as a child for not being strong enough to deal with the topic. The Northerners were a different matter entirely. They looked away as if I didn't exist if they couldn't see me. But none of their scents showed a hint of aggression towards me and Podrick. A blessing from the gods.  
  
I howled loudly and Podrick quickly set up exercises with only minor input from me. I was impressed by how easily he took to leadership and thought he would make a good knight. For around an hour I watched the men fight. The Dothraki had a wildness to them that was hard for the Westerosi to meet.  
  
But soon enough a few Northerners were able to end their spars in a tie. The Dothraki would shout with an amused expression on their faces whenever they were bested by Northerners. Each side took victories and losses to be cause to fight even harder and fiercer than before. This force would make Cersei crumble in fear and give up with King's Landing without a fight.  
  
My nose picked up a very familiar scent and I looked around to see where Khaleesi would approach from. My ears also heard hints of her voice and I looked around to see where she was. All my movements were done much slower than I wanted so as not to not alert Podrick to even more of my uneasiness. I was a direwolf now and I had to uphold my reputation as a newly reformed man. If people started to doubt my competency then everything I wanted would be lost. Daenerys would then have to make a choice between keeping a man who not everyone liked or the worship of a people. I knew she would choose me but I worried about everything she could lose because of her choice.  
  
It took me a few minutes to realize that my love was a short distance away. My direwolf senses were powerful and in this instance I had forgotten that. I had forgotten to not judge distances like I would as a human. Once fully mastered my abilities would make me a more powerful opponent. But would I retain any humanity at that point?  
  
I listened more closely to what Ghost's ears could pick up. It wasn't just Daenerys as she was talking with someone. It wasn't until Sansa Stark spoke that I could tell it was her. I hadn't smelled her enough for her scent to be easily recognizable to me.  
  
"Ser Jorah?" Podrick asked and I focused on the men training in front of me.  
  
I could tell that the men were tired. Sweat was coming off of them even in the cold. Yet even though their bodies showed clear signs of being tired, I knew they would never stop until I told them to. The Dothraki wouldn't want to disappoint their khaleesi and the Northerners wouldn't want to get less than favorable words about them reaching Jon's ears.  
  
[They can rest for a moment but then they must continue practice soon.] I replied.

"Ser Jorah is v-he says you can take a short break." Podrick translated. "But he knows you are extremely strong and have more energy in you for today's practice."  
  
[Once they are done resting, pair each Northerner up with a Dothraki. Then have each pair attack the other.]  
  
Podrick nodded and I focused again on my love. For a few minutes Daenerys and Sansa were too far away for my hearing to be able to pick up their words clearly. This forced me to look at the Dothraki and Northerners to make sure they were rested enough to continue sparring. When they were rested enough I nodded to the squire and then heard Khaleesi's words clearly.  
  
"So which Dothraki do you want me to be with?" A Northerner asked.  
  
[Whichever one you want.] I replied curtly.  
  
"Ser Jorah says you can choose your own." Podrick said curtly and I could tell what he had sensed in my mind.  
  
"Fine." The Northerner replied.  
  
I knew that trusting the Dothraki wouldn't happen overnight and the Westerosi would need time to think of them as friends. I also knew it would take time for the Dothraki to adapt to a culture different than their own. If both sides started to think of the other as human then the transition should be easier.  
  
Once I felt assured Podrick had this part of the situation handled, I focused on Khaleesi yet again. It felt wrong to spy on her and I wondered about the morality of such an action. She wasn't the most politically savvy and could make a mistake while talking with Sansa. What advisor and lover would I be if I allowed her to walk into danger with no way out?  
  
"Ser Jorah?" Podrick asked and I walked to inspect all the pairings.  
  
There were some Northerners who had to pair up with two Dothraki and vice versa. I glanced behind me to see the squire looking proud about himself. I could understand why as it took skill to talk to two sides that were uneasy with each other. Then there was the fact that some of the Dothraki couldn't understand the common tongue. I nodded my head at the boy to show my thoughts about him being a competent man.  
  
The Dothraki all stood up proudly when I walked by while there was reverence in the Northerners' eyes. I had beaten death and was in the body of a direwolf. No one probably knew I hadn't been a warg before. Though a few could believe my talent was latent to make sense of my situation.  
  
[Have two pairs go up against each other and the others wait their turn.] I told Podrick. [The winning pair gets to go up against the next pair.]  
  
"Will there be a reward?" Podrick whispered.  
  
[They shouldn't need one.]  
  
The squire nodded and I realized too much of my harshness had gotten out. It had angered me that he would think the men needed a reward as if they were little children just come out of their mother's wombs. Every soldier of worth did not need to be complimented for every little action. I felt guilty for letting him know those feelings as I could tell he was just asking out of the goodness of his heart. Soon enough that heart of his would become torn apart by the world. Not every one of us could be a Jon Snow.  
  
"I understand." Podrick said and kept his composure. "You and you, spar. The winner gets to spar the next pair."  
  
The squire had the practice under control so I put all of my effort into focusing on my love's conversation. I pretended to be watching the Dothraki and Northerners intensely so that they wouldn't lax in their duties. It took me a few minutes but I finally picked up Daenerys and Sansa's voices again.  
  
"I am not saying that you did not lose anything in the battle, Your Grace." Sansa said. "But you winning one battle is no reason to think that you deserve the North. That being said, you are deadly on your dragon and without you the living would have lost more than it already has. We might have had to retreat to the Vale or the Iron Islands."  
  
Sansa was her usual self today, someone who had been hurt and had only grown stronger. She was a force to be reckoned with and one Khaleesi had to be wary of. The Stark had been trained by Littlefinger and so knew more about twisting politics to her will than my love would ever be able to understand. She was better as an ally than an enemy and I had tried to tell Daenerys that.  
  
"I ruled Meereen." Daenerys replied with anger barely hidden in her voice. "I stopped slavery in Essos. I have done much to right wrongs and I will continue to do so."  
  
"The North fought hard for its independence." Sansa pointed out. "My brother and mother died to keep us away from the Iron Throne. Imagine if I went to Meereen and destroyed all you worked for. You are asking for me to do that with a smile on my face."  
  
"Before I sailed for Westeros I promised to reclaim my birthright. If I don't get the North, then I have lost."  
  
I could hear the hurt in Khaleesi's voice and worried that the Stark could sense the same thing. I was alive in Ghost's body and could never fuck her. Then there was the fact her conquest of Westeros wasn't going as expected. She had been beaten by Cersei and now it seemed her people were not appreciating her. She was trying to hold onto anything to bring her comfort. If I didn't trust her strength, I would believe she would turn into everything she hated.  
  
"You said that you wanted to break the wheel." Sansa said. "It is as though you don't know what that means. It is as if you want to destroy the power structure in Westeros to create a better system but you also want to use it to get what you are owed. If you truly want to break the wheel then you should think about what you deserve instead of what you think you are owed."  
  
"And if I decide to keep the North?" Daenerys asked.  
  
"Then that is your decision to make."  
  
"But I will think about what you said. You didn't defeat your enemies because you were foolish."  
  
I could tell that Khaleesi was doing her best to appear strong and hide her doubts from Sansa. I could also hear the threat in Sansa's voice and Khaleesi bowing to her will. At least for the moment my queen knew it would be pointless to antagonize the Stark. I could also tell that they were getting very close to the training fields.  
  
[Khaleesi.] I said and Podrick blushed at the lust in my thoughts.  
  
"Jorah," She said with a smile when she came into view. "How are the men?"  
  
Sansa looked at me and then stood beside Daenerys. I could sense fear from the Stark when she had looked at me. Of course she knew I wouldn't harm her, it must be because I was in the body of a friend of hers. He had stayed to guard Winterfell in Jon's absence and they must have bonded some. Nothing would reassure her about my situation so I didn't ask for someone to give her a message.  
  
[They are training well.] I told Khaleesi. [Podrick is doing an admirable job with helping me.]  
  
Podrick tried not to react to the praise. He did look briefly away when he felt I was trying to hide something. He might have thought it was something to do with him, but my love had understood the truth. She barely held back a sigh as she realized I had spied on her.  
  
"You don't need to protect me all the time." Khaleesi said simply.  
  
[I know.] I replied.  
  
"But you were also bored. You want gossip just as much as any woman."  
  
Podrick had understood more of the conversation than Sansa, but both were lost. He then impressed upon Sansa every little detail about the practice session. It calmed him down and Sansa also became more relaxed. I wanted to walk off with Khaleesi, but my duty forced me to stay with the men unless my love said otherwise.  
  
Daenerys eventually focused on what Podrick was saying. She was the queen and had to show interest in the men that would die for her. She had forced the Dothraki to leave their old life behind and it would be in poor taste for her just to leave this practice session. I could tell that she didn't want to be here anymore but both of our duties forced us to remain.  
  
"Ser Brienne of Tarth was right about you, Podrick." Daenerys said after he had finished his explanation. "Jorah does not appear to be troubled about you, so you must have impressed him."  
  
"Thank you, Your Grace." Podrick said with a deep bow.  
  
"You may leave now." Daenerys said with a wave of her hands to the men. "Rest as we will ride south shortly."  
  
The Dothraki and Northerners did their best to appear as if they weren't exhausted. Their show fooled no one as they walked quickly back to the castle. I looked to Podrick and sensed he was proud of having done well in the eyes of his superiors. I felt nervousness in Sansa and guessed that was due to her worrying about the North's independence. I felt confusion in Khaleesi and I knew everything that would cause her to feel like that.  
  
She pet me behind the ears and I leaned into her touch. I knew that she was petting me more to comfort herself than me. I didn't mind as it was her who would have to lead the forces to overthrow Cersei.


	7. A Scent of Salt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the way to Dragonstone, Jorah Mormont deals with a growing loss of self.

Winterfell was far behind me now. Though not nearly as distant as my humanity. Jon was riding Rhaegal and had just helped Daenerys to drive Euron Greyjoy's fleet away. According to her, the Greyjoy had been more than skilled to have evaded certain doom. She was elsewhere on the ship and I didn't care at the moment. My current desire was to jump into the sea and yet I had to stop myself. Any small swim would entail the fleet had to slow down and there was no certainty Euron wouldn't try to attack us again. Maybe when we were closer to Dragonstone.  
  
I currently had my front paws on the railing and my hind paws on the deck. My tongue hung out of my mouth which would have embarrassed me if I were human. But I had Ghost's body and I had started, reluctantly, accepting that fact more and more. The salty scent of the air and wind blowing across my fur was more than pleasant. I had become lost in the sensations to the point I was starting to forget who I was. The sea's color didn't interest me as much as before. The colors of the world were now faded. They no longer helped me to see the beauty of the world and I no longer cared. The sky was bright blue but I no longer thought of it with awe. All that truly mattered were smells as they told a more interesting story than mere sight.  
  
My tail wagged as I started to try to jump over. This even though I knew to jump off I would only have to run and jump. I looked around and saw others doing their duties. No one was looking at me and I had a moment. It was stupid and the human part of me was yelling. But the direwolf part didn't care. And the latter is the side that won. It was exciting going onto all fours and moving away from the side to get enough distance for a running start. It was thrilling to feel myself going into the air and then crashing into the water. My fur protected me against the cold and I let out a loud howl.  
  
The men looked over and laughed. I didn't care as I was swimming. It was a great adventure to try and keep up with the ship. I was sure if I swam fast enough that I could easily climb up again and get everyone wet when I shook myself dry. My direwolf instincts told me not to worry but the side of me that I used to consider my whole self knew differently. I knew that no matter how fast I swam that eventually the ships would be many miles from me.  
  
[Rope!] I yelled to Daenerys who was now looking at me.  
  
She yelled and quickly a rope was thrown over the side. My muscles burned by the time I had it firmly in my mouth. My claws helped me grab onto the ship. The water seemed hellbent to keep me off of the ship. But I was Ser Jorah Mormont of Bear Island and wouldn't be deterred from my goal. Once I started to climb the ship it became easier. It was much different than climbing as a human, but much easier. My direwolf claws allowed me greater stability than mere hands. Though climbing like this wasn't something a direwolf was used to. It wasn't what a direwolf was made for.  
  
Men were there to help me get onto the ship and then I shook myself dry. Before doing so had seemed like a game but now it didn't. Now I was becoming more and more myself. Now my mind could fully comprehend the shame of what I had just done. I had allowed my direwolf side to overtake me. Ghost had become me and I had become him. The longer I stayed in this form the more it would happen. Probably one day I would forget who Jorah Mormont or Bear Island were. The thought made me feel cold.  
  
"What were you thinking?" One man asked in a fit of laughter.  
  
I didn't want to speak to Khaleesi as there was pain in my mind. It had been happening lately that I felt at peace one moment but then rebelled against that feeling all to remember I was human. This war inside couldn't go on forever. One day I would have to choose a side of either direwolf or human. If I chose human there would always be a bit of direwolf in me. If I chose direwolf there would always be a bit of human in me. Never again could I truly be Jorah Mormont and that scared me. The only thing that would remain was my love for Khaleesi. Could she love me if I changed too much? If I became someone different than the one she fell in love with?  
  
"He lost control for a moment." Khaleesi said coldly. "I'm sure he is combating Ghost."  
  
I wanted to smile at her defense of me. She was in denial as much as I was. I could tell that she truly believed what she was saying to our men. She loved me to the point she would ignore any symptoms of me becoming something else. Sometimes she would wake up from nightmares and I worried that she dreamed of me losing myself to my new body. She never spoke about her dreams and I didn't want to know the truth. There was no need to confirm what she saw when she closed her eyes at nights. Though, hopefully, they weren't as bad as mine. Sometimes I dreamed that I lived as a direwolf and enjoyed it. My time as a human was long gone as I had accepted my new life. There was no Khaleesi. There was no Bear island. There was just the wilderness in front of me.  
  
"Yes, Your Grace." The man said and bowed deeply. "I meant no insult."  
  
Instead of answering the man, Daenerys started walking to her cabin and I followed. It was a cold thing to do and it gave the man an idea of how his queen viewed his comment. It also sent a message to the others about how they were to talk about me. While she meant well, her stance made me feel even more broken. Her stance meant that what had happened to me was a terrible disease. It was an idea I held, but one that didn't need to be reinforced. Tyrion had the better idea of treating me like any other person.  
  
Direwolves had many things that made them a better weapon than any sword. But walking on a ship was not one of their better qualities. It was only because I had been on ships while human that walking didn't cause me any problems. It had taken me half a day to walk well on a ship in direwolf form. The difficulty had come when dealing with four legs instead of two. Every motion threw me off balance until I had figured out how to properly balance this new body.  
  
[I am not broken.] I told Khaleesi to break the uneasy silence between us.  
  
"You don't know if you're broken, but I do." She replied sadly. "You are not yourself and you never will be again. If you can lose yourself once, you can lose yourself again."  
  
[I am different, not broken.]  
  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be speaking to you like I am. You don't deserve to hear my pain, you have enough of your own."  
  
I didn't tell her that I could smell the tears she was holding back. Until those thoughts invaded my telepathy, I would allow her to imagine I didn't see the cracks that were steadily growing in her. She deserved her privacy as much as any person. I always had the ability to sense what was below her surface, but with Ghost's body I was able to go much further than before. There seemed to be no layer of her that I couldn't see. Though she could still have her secrets as my heart had always blocked my mind. The same would be true in this body.  
  
Her cabin, I couldn't think of it as ours, was guarded by a Dothraki and an Unsullied. Both didn't have any reactions to us entering the cabin. The door shut and we just looked at each other. It had become harder to talk with her as the days went on. She could still hear my telepathy clearly, it was just that we had complicated opinions on what had happened to me. Khaleesi couldn't help but believe I was broken and I was desperately trying to figure out what mindset would let me keep a sense of myself.  
  
Khaleesi walked to me and kissed the top of my head. I could tell that she was aroused by the way she gripped my head. Her scent was also thick with the need to fuck. Knowing how badly she needed me made me feel even more pained with my situation. The woman I loved above all others needed me and I couldn't help her. In years past I would have been able to gladly fulfill the role she wanted of me. I would have taken her as gently or roughly as she wanted. I would have allowed her to ride me all the times we made love. But now I was unable to take her body in the way I wanted.  
  
"I should have fucked you sooner, Jorah." Khaleesi said with a faint smile. "If only you had been more direct with me, I would have allowed you to have your way with me."  
  
[You wouldn't have.] I replied sadly. [You would have denied me and then brought further shame onto my name.]  
  
"You're right. I would have. I was so naive back then. I should have made you mine before I exiled you."  
  
[I should have been more honest about why I first met you. If I had...maybe you would have forgiven me easier.]  
  
"You're not to blame for your exile. The blame is all mine. I was scared when I shouldn't have been."  
  
She stiffened and I stopped going towards her. I had merely wanted to comfort her but I understood why she had stopped me. She was more than aroused and would have tried to fuck me if I had gotten any closer. She would have demand I fuck her no matter how demented such an idea was. I too wanted to fuck her and would not have put up any resistance. We would have both been ashamed of ourselves if I had touched her just now.  
  
I went and lay beside her bed. It pained me too much to see my love wanting me and yet neither of us being allowed to fulfill our desires. Instead of thinking again about what I wanted to do to her, I focused on the motions of the ship. It was a calm sea today and would continue to be so until we reached Dragonstone. It would be so fun to run across the beach and play in the surf. If only there were other wolves that could join me. We would have fun claiming territory in Dragonstone. No, that isn't what I wanted. What I wanted was to reach Dragonstone and for us to both be at peace with what I was. For us both to agree how to approach my situation.  
  
"I don't know what to do." Daenerys said and sat beside me, us barely able to control ourselves. "It's one more confusing thing to deal with. It doesn't seem like anything has been easy for me since reaching Westeros. I haven't been able to defeat Cersei Lannister. Then Sansa Stark is pressing me to keep the North independent even after Jon Snow bent the knee for me. I love you and I always will. It's a curse that we love each other."  
  
[It is a curse I am honored to bear.] I replied honestly. [But you need not suffer the consequences of it. You need not remain chaste like myself. You can spend hours forgetting about me while in the arms of another.]  
  
"I wouldn't dare."  
  
Khaleesi's eyes started to water at my honesty. I had resigned myself to slowly going away in Ghost's body. I had resigned myself to the fact my love had needs that I couldn't fulfill. I wanted to share her bed, but her body was no longer mine. The moment she took another would be when we were finally free of this madness. Once she was safe in the arms of another, I would be free to lose myself to my fate.  
  
It would be hard to see her having someone else as king. Besides myself, Jon had been the man most worthy of Khaleesi. If he could contend with her ferocious nature, the ice inside of him could soothe her flames. He just needed a few more years to understand her and then they would be unstoppable when together. But now he was no longer an option and a suitable suitor for her didn't exist. Tyrion and I could find someone both worthy and trustworthy. But she would need to accept the fate that had been given to us.  
  
"I don't need to find anyone else." My queen replied sadly. "You are the only one. I will remain queen until my death and then blood will mean nothing. Maybe it is better to break the wheel by not having a king. There will be another way to choose rulers."  
  
[Even if it is a good political move not to marry, you are still a woman with needs.] I told her. [I've seen how much you like to get pleasure from others. You will live a hollow life if you do not find someone to share your bed.]  
  
"I...I...no. Lovemaking is not the pinnacle of existence. I will become celibate and enjoy the other gifts of life."  
  
[It would be too painful and you know that.]  
  
Khaleesi shivered at what I had said. I must have been thinking of making love to her. Of how warm her cunt had felt to me. Those memories must have finally gotten too much for her that she could do nothing more but shiver. I smelled a stronger scent of arousal and felt guilty. My telepathy was another curse of my life. While trying to make her understand my point of view, I had made her hurt too much.  
  
"No it wouldn't be." She lied. "I have survived many things others said I wouldn't. I am not as weak of a woman as you think."  
  
[I know,] I replied gently. [But you shouldn't be asked to make certain sacrifices.]  
  
"You're wrong, I am strong enough to become celibate. You are the one my soul calls out for when all hope is lost. No other man will share my bed."  
  
Khaleesi got off the bed and started pacing around the cabin. This was unusual for her and I started walking beside her. In the quiet I soaked in her scent. She was a beautiful woman, though my direwolf body was thankfully not fully aroused. With how strong this creature's mind was, I doubted I could resist it if it decided on my love as a mate. Did she want that to be the case? Did she want to do anything just to feel normal again?  
  
"It is you in that body." Khaleesi said nervously. "It is not a direwolf's mind that moves the body's limbs. It is yours. No matter what skin you wear, it will always be you underneath."  
  
I felt nervous about her words. On the surface they sounded kind and caring. On the surface they sounded as if she were finally coming to terms with what I was now. But there was something underneath that made me feel cold. She didn't say the words out of acceptance, she said them out of denial. I wanted to speak up but knew my thoughts weren't controlled enough for her to comprehend my meaning.  
  
"Let me fuck you." Khaleesi begged. "Let me give you pleasure. It isn't wrong as it is you in there. Ghost must have gone by this point. He won't notice what we will use his body for."  
  
[No!] I yelled.  
  
My love fell as if a bear had hit her. She cried loudly and banged the floor with her fists. All my anger, love, and anguish had been projected into one simple word. She was breaking and there was nothing I could to stop it. Every time I spoke with her, she would feel the full weight of things unsaid. I could not save her from a prison that held the two of us. It would take much more for my morals to fade away into nothing. I wished dearly that I could forget my honor for her.  
  
[I am sorry, Khaleesi.] I said and she pressed her face into my fur.  
  
"It's not your fault, Jorah." She cried. "It was never your fault. You were willing to die for me and now...now you're willing to live for me. You're even willing to allow me to take another."  
  
[I love you too much to see you in pain.]  
  
"You're right, you going would not make me feel better. It would leave an aching in my heart. At least you're here now. Whatever happens you will always be with me."  
  
[You will become the greatest queen the Seven Kingdoms have ever known.]  
  
"I wouldn't be able to be a queen without your help. If only I could repay you."  
  
[If only.]  
  
With my help she managed to get dressed for the evening. I looked away when she changed in case my lesser nature decided to take over. To distract myself I focused on the scents around me. When she went into bed I went next to her. We couldn't fuck, but we could feel each other's heat during the night.


	8. On the Brink of Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah Mormont searches for Daenerys Targaryen while worrying she has made a dark turn.

_I was racing across the wilderness with the rest of my pack around me. I was pure direwolf with no worries about the humanity I had lost. What was there to mourn when I had the whole world to race across? What was there to feel sorrow about when my pack was with me? Everything was perfect and much simpler than it had been in a long time. I let out a howl as I relished in my existence._  
  
I woke up panting. The nightmare had returned and I wanted to push the allure of it away. I wanted to deny the happiness I felt while experiencing it. How during those nightmares I felt like that was the way things were supposed to be. My humanity seemed less than important while I was asleep. I was Ser Jorah Mormont of Bear Island and that part of me would always remain.  
  
When my breathing slowed down I looked up at the bed. Khaleesi had not gone to sleep easily and I understood why. The upcoming Battle of King's Landing would be the final chance for her to claim the Iron Throne. If we lost the battle then we'd have to retreat and gather up more troops. That would take time that Cersei would use to her advantage. We'd have to hope that the support Jon and Khaleesi had gathered would make sure the Lannister's forces weren't too strong.  
  
While my love's scent was thick in the air, I didn't hear her breathing. I stood up and saw that she wasn't there. With the way the covers were splayed about, she had been tossing and turning for some time before she left her bed. My first instinct was to panic about her safety and feel the need to race after her. This feeling was only made stronger by my direwolf instincts. She was part of my pack and I needed to keep her safe. To do anything but my best to protect her felt like a betrayal of her on the deepest level possible. It took all my effort to lay back down and not move. She would return. She had to return.  
  
I stood up again as my body wouldn't let me remain still. I remembered how she mourned not being able to just burn down King's Landing. While Khaleesi would be remembered as one of the most renowned queens in Westerosi history, the finer points of ruling tended to escape her. That's why she needed myself, Tyrion, and Varys. She needed people to inform her of how best to accomplish the goals she wanted. Though sometimes her ideas were much better than me or the others gave her.  
  
My queen, my love, my Khaleesi would not be flying on Drogon to burn down King's Landing tonight. She might be impulsive but she had her limits. Many looked at her and saw an unhinged dictator, but that wasn't her. She had a kind heart and was worried about showing it. It was hard to show your heart while still appearing strong. Many confused kindness with weakness and my love believed in that falsity. The first time she had been able to grow into her own was with the Dothraki. The nomads did not have the sense of calm that was needed for a ruler of the Iron Throne.  
  
Yet a part of me needed to make sure she wasn't about to cross a line. If she burned down King's Landing tonight she would be killing many innocent people because of her own problems. She would also be forsaking one of the rules of combat by not giving the other side warning. Even someone as cruel as Cersei deserved that courtesy. Though I could understand my love's need to dishonor the false queen.  
  
I started to pace around the room as I tried to calm myself down. Khaleesi would sometimes take long walks at night when she couldn't sleep. It wasn't as though this was the first time I had woken up to her not being in bed. But something seemed out of place this time. Something small that my conscious mind couldn't make sense of but I knew all the same.  
  
Khaleesi did not deserve my distrust. She had already faced the infamous Northern cold and did not need the cold of her love. My duty was to hold her up when she felt she was not strong enough. She was my strength and I was hers. Yet didn't being her strength mean I had to see her for who she was? To see the good along with the bad? To fully accept the bad while believing in the good? Was it my duty to distrust her this evening?  
  
Yes, I had to doubt her or else the darkness would have an easier time taking over her. She was strong enough to resist but my help had always cooled her fire. She had the desire to rule and the ability to make others turn away from old traditions to follow her future. With the right choices she could make the world a better place. But if she was having a moment of weakness I needed to be there for her.  
  
With a sigh I walked over to the door. It took a few minutes for me to open it as I didn't have hands anymore. Instead I had paws that were great when fighting, but useless when doing tasks such as opening a door. After spending too long getting out of the room, I sniffed the air to see where Khaleesi had gone. No one could hide from me now as scents were on everything. Arya could be quiet as possible but her scent would follow her no matter where she went.  
  
As a human I would've described the night as quiet with few sounds. As a direwolf the night was much different to me. It was alive with sounds and scents. There were thousands of stories playing out and not enough time for me to find all of them. A few people were fucking and crying out in passion. Others were drinking to calm their nerves. Most were sleeping and some snored while getting lost in their dreams.  
  
I followed her scent as long as I could. But at a certain point it became mixed in too much with other people's scents. A few women had similar enough scents to my love that it confused me. A soft growl escaped my throat as I realized I needed to practice more. If I had spent time following scents I would be able to tell exactly where she was at this moment. Sometimes it escaped my mind how vast the world was to a direwolf's nose. At times I could fool myself into thinking I had mastered this art.  
  
After a few minutes I guessed the path Khaleesi had taken. We had known each other for years so it should be easy for me to guess where she'd seek comfort. My first guess was the throne. It was her weakness, and strength, to seek comfort in power. Viserys had never allowed her to find her strength. It was only once she married Khal Drogo that she realized her worth. That knowledge had come with the taste of power. But when my paws brought me to the throne she wasn't there. There was not even the hint of scent anywhere in the room. Where else could she be?  
  
Her dragons. She'd be with her children to calm herself. A dark thought crossed my mind but I pushed it away. That couldn't be true. She was a good person and that would never change. She'd be tempted but she would never fall. Not everyone could have a clear sense of honor like Jon, but that didn't mean everyone would do demented things when push came to shove.  
  
In my denial I searched everywhere on Dragonstone. I went back to the spot the scents had become too confused to read and followed every one that was like Daenerys. I went to every place that the woman I loved liked to visit. In every place I didn't see any sign of her. The wind tugged at my fur to tell me where to go. It told me that the place I feared was the spot she would be. Or not be.  
  
[Fine!] I yelled at the sky.  
  
With my head bent down, I walked to the place Drogon and Rhaegal slept. My nightmarish thoughts were proven true with the absence of the larger dragon. The smaller one looked sadly as if he knew something was wrong. I let out a howl and he let out a roar to the night. Both of us having the same thought about being able to call Khaleesi back home.  
  
[Khaleesi, please!] I shouted with my mind in the vain hope she could hear. [Don't do this! You are strong and wise! You are better than this! Don't prove them right, my love! Come back!]  
  
What if I could get into Drogon's head? What if I could enter him like I had Ghost? Part of me knew that idea was beyond insane. If I couldn't enter a human's body, how could I enter a dragon's? No warg had ever managed to possess a dragon and I was a mistake. My entering a direwolf was a gift from some god and it wasn't likely that deity would bless me again. Yet my love for Daenerys made me willing to try.  
  
I focused on Drogon and what he meant to me. I remembered the day I had seen Khaleesi unburnt and him newly hatched. I finally gathered enough courage to leave Ghost's body and was greeted with darkness. Unlike before, there was no one to guide me to my destination. Instead I had to traverse the bitter cold all on my own.  
  
Maybe to wargs the distance between minds wasn't great, but to me the distance between Ghost and Drogon was vast. No, the word vast did not describe how far Drogon was from me. There was no word in any language that could described how far the dragon was from me. Added to the space between us was the cold. Even though I did not have a physical body, my spirit shivered in the dark.  
  
The vision came back to me. There was dark and a red eye. Could this be the same dark from the vision? Or was I so scared delusions had started to come over me?   
  
Just as I gathered enough courage to continue my journey to Drogon, I caught a glimpse of something. No, not something, nothing. Though smaller than the surrounding darkness, it was still larger than anything I had ever seen. While the darkness around me was suffocating, this being of nothing felt evil. Evil intent came off of it and I could tell it was looking at me. A flash of red came out of it and then went away. I ran faster than I thought possible to Drogon's mind. If I entered the dragon than the nothing would not be able to get me.  
  
In less than a blink of an eye I was slamming myself against Drogon's mind. In my fear I did not want to go back to Ghost's body as I needed to get away from this darkness. So I continued to slam against the dragon's mind until I started to feel cracks. They started out small but grew large enough that I entered the moment there was an opening.  
  
I opened my eyes and saw water beneath and clouds around me. A sigh of relief escaped my jaws as the nothing could not harm me now. Suddenly I felt an angry Drogon resisting me and I remembered why I was here. I remembered why I had left Ghost's body in the first place. Khaleesi was attempting to attack Cersei on her own by burning down King's Landing. She was giving into her darker urges and I needed to stop her.  
  
"Jorah?" Khaleesi asked as I tried to fly.  
  
It was easy to do since Drogon's mind was so close to my own. Being in Ghost's body so long I had learned how to get information from his mind. I had learned the difference between instinct and acquired knowledge. So it wasn't much trouble to figure out how to fly. The only problem was that my love's child did not want me in him. His resistance made it so that my flying became erratic for a few minutes until I managed to take over control of him again.  
  
"Get out of Drogon, please." Daenerys begged. "Let me do this."  
  
[You know that it's wrong, Khaleesi.] I cried. [If you attack King's Landing now you will become worse than Cersei Lannister. You will become the very thing you wished to destroy.]  
  
"There is nothing left in this world to live for. There is no better world without you by my side. So why not let my rage consume me?"  
  
[I am still by your side. I will always be by your side.]  
  
"You can't love me like I need to be loved. It's not just that, I'm not that petty. It's the fact the fight for the Iron Throne seemed hopeless ever since I couldn't easily defeat the Lannister Queen. It's the fact that in the North I am just a person and no one remarks on my achievements. No matter what I do, I will never win the hearts of my people. So why not burn King's Landing to the ground?"  
  
I used Drogon's instincts to find which was the way to Dragonstone. It was hard as he was strong enough to block my search. In desperation I looked to the stars but the dragon turned his head downwards. He managed to take control of his body and dove down. The motion was thrilling and I nearly got lost in the utter sense of power my body provided. There was no certainty in me that I would fail. Anything I tried to do would be successful. I was fire made flesh! No, I was Jorah who was trying to turn my love from a dark path. With all my strength I pulled out of the dive.  
  
"You need to go, Jorah." Khaleesi said and I felt tears drop onto my scales.  
  
[Not being able to fuck you hurts me, my love.] I replied. [It hurts to be so close to you but unable to touch your body. It is unfair that is my lot in life, but I value my service to you above all else. I can't betray you by running off. Conquering the Seven Kingdoms was never going to be easy. Cersei has many to advise her, including Ser Jaime Lannister for a time. And the North is not kind to any outsiders. It does not mean they don't respect you, it means they want to make sure of your character. Even if they don't adore you like the slaves in Meereen, your actions can continue to make them respect you.]  
  
I felt my love's body get closer to me. Her fingers ran across my scales and the sensation was calming. It relaxed me a little too much and I had to fight Drogon again for control. This time we twisted and turned in the air with each motion being a battle. Finally I started to glide while not being sure where I was headed.  
  
"I don't want to do this." Khaleesi moaned. "I don't want to do this."  
  
[I don't want to be in the body of a direwolf with no hope of getting my old one back.] I agreed. [But that is the path given to me by the gods.]  
  
"The gods are cruel."  
  
[You can still be the just queen that Westeros needs at this time. You still have the strength you had in Essos.]  
  
"You're right, I still have you. But will that be enough?"  
  
Would it be enough? My mere presence hadn't kept her from riding away on Drogon. It hadn't kept her from nearly burning an entire city down with innocents losing their lives. Yet maybe this conversation could steer her back onto the right course. The course I knew she truly wanted to go down.  
  
[I have entered Drogon's mind, my love.] I told her.  
  
"You can enter another's body?" Khaleesi repeated the words she must have heard. "Just because you have entered my child's body doesn't mean you can enter a human's. If you could you could have entered mine."  
  
[I must have been too timid. Tonight I feared for your safety and wanted to do anything to save you.]  
  
"I doubt you can replicate those feelings just to make love to me."  
  
[I now know how to enter a well protected mind. It will be easier next time.]  
  
At least I hoped I did. Pounding away at Drogon's mind had been an act of pure desperation. I hoped my love did not hear my own doubt but only the hope in my words. Before I could talk to her more, two things happened at once. The first was that I finally figured out which was the way to Dragonstone and did my best to turn Drogon's body toward it. The second was Drogon pushed me back into the darkness that the nothing was in.  
  
Ghost's mind called out to me and I was back inside the direwolf's body very quickly. So quickly I did not even notice the otherworldly dark. We waited on the beach and merely listened to the waves hitting the shore. Neither of us felt like playing as we were worried that Khaleesi would make the wrong decision and force us to do something we didn't want to.  
  
I looked up to the sky when I heard the faintest sounds of Drogon's wings. I howled to the night and was answered with a roar. Instead of landing on a cliff, Drogon dove into the water which caused a huge wave to crash over me. Khaleesi swam to shore and ran to me. She put her arms around my neck and head into my fur.  
  
"I am so sorry." She cried. "I'm so sorry."


	9. The Great Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah Mormont, Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, and Tyrion Lannister discuss what the Mormont had seen.

It was quiet in the Room of the Painted Table. It was a much smaller group of people in the meeting than usual. But then the topic for discussion wasn't a pleasant one. Khaleesi was sitting in her usual spot and looked at the table. Jon was standing up with his arms crossed as if he was daring everyone to say one more thing on the matter. Tyrion was drinking and looking at the door as if he could escape by running away. I was pacing around the room to get as much energy out of the direwolf's body as possible.  
  
"Ser Jorah doesn't know what he saw." Jon said angrily. "Besides, we need to discuss why Queen Daenerys decided to take on King's Landing by herself last night."  
  
"King's Landing is safe and Jorah can now, apparently, take over the bodies of dragons." Tyrion replied after taking a large gulp of wine. "So if she tries to do so again he will stop her. And I have known Jorah long enough to know he wouldn't lie about such a matter. He would not easily dishonor any Northern House."  
  
I hadn't said Bran's name but that is what Khaleesi had heard. Some part of my mind had put together the Stark child being the nothing. After reflecting on the memory I realized that had to be the case. There was no reason to focus on the Night King's failure without seeing Bran being triumphant. And he had seemed eerily calm that I was a direwolf as if he preferred I be away from my actual body. It had been a cruel thing for him to do.  
  
"Everything you're saying about my brother is him being kind." Jon argued. "Of course he would want to make sure that Jorah found peace in his new body. Bran is a good man."  
  
[I know what I saw.] I said uncertainty. [I know you don't want to believe it, but you have to. If you don't then Westeros and Essos could be lost.]  
  
"Jorah doesn't want to believe the nothing is Bran Stark." Khaleesi translated for me. "But if he is right then your brother could be putting all of life in danger. The people trust in you, you need to be there for them."  
  
"I bent the knee to you, you're the queen now." Jon said and sat down. "They aren't my people anymore. I have never wanted power. I just wanted to be a ranger in the Night's Watch."  
  
I could smell the fear coming off of the Stark. It was twisting his perceptions so that he couldn't see the truth. Or at least the possibility of a horrible truth. I doubted if I had actually sensed Bran or if the fear in me was so great that my mind was lying to itself. In any case we had to look at the fact Bran might not have the values he said he had. Jon's loyalty to family was admirable but now it was acting too similar to insanity.  
  
"They are your people as much as they are mine." Khaleesi said with more strength than she had. "You grew up in Westeros, I did not. Essos is more my home than this place is. Yet I can't let them perish without fighting back."  
  
"Jorah could have been scared and isn't thinking clearly." Jon retorted. "Fear makes us see things that aren't there."  
  
"Jorah did not have to consciously think about Bran being the nothing, Part of him was certain and it could be he did not want to think about the possibility. I have heard him 'say' things he didn't intend for me to hear. It's a reason he is silent some of the time. He does not want your brother to be the enemy anymore than you do."  
  
Jon had nothing to say to that and remained silent. Even with my love trying to defend me, he wouldn't stop defending his family against all perceived threats. Tyrion refilled his goblet again and waited for someone else to speak up. It was not just that Bran might be the enemy, it was the fact we had no idea how to stop such a massive force. It could easily destroy the world while we attacked it with all the forces in existence. And if we had to fight it in its home? I could get to it, but I didn't know how to begin attacking it.  
  
I tried to take comfort in the sounds and scents of Dragonstone. For the future I made sure to be able to identify everyone in the room. The meeting was small due to wanting to decrease the chance of panic. Plus with how powerful the nothing was, it could be that with more people knowing the truth it could have an easier time tracking our plans. Jon's scent was made of fear, Khaleesi's scent was made of sorrow, and Tyrion was so drunk I couldn't make sense of his scent. This made it possible for me to distract myself until I could sense his worry.  
  
"We can't blame my brother until we know for certain." Jon said.  
  
"You are right on that matter." Tyrion replied. "If we don't know for certain who the real enemy is, the wrong man could die. Which would leave the real nothing to destroy the world. And that's the reason I'm drinking now. You are all admirable people, but this isn't a battle I see us winning."  
  
[We can't give up!] I shouted. [I will die fighting no matter how pointless the battle!]  
  
I had disgraced my father once and I wouldn't do so again. I would prove to him and all the gods that my soul was worth something. Sam had given me Heartsbane and I promised to guard the realms of men. While my hands could never hold another sword, I could still protect the realms of men. While the dead had been defeated, the realms of men were again threatened. Maybe the former Maester in Training would have answers, but he was not here. And by the time a raven could reach him, Bran could have already killed the poor mortal man. The one who had saved me from greyscale.  
  
"Jorah believes he-that we can't give up now." Khaleesi translated for me. "It is a matter of honor for him."  
  
"I know more about Bran Stark than anyone in this room." Tyrion said slowly once there was no more wine in front of him. "At Winterfell I asked him for his story and he told me. I wished he didn't. We survived the dead at Winterfell but we can't expect to come alive after this."  
  
"If you know my brother then you know he isn't an enemy." Jon nearly hissed. "He has grown odd ever since he returned, but he would never cause harm like you're implying."  
  
"Did you ever ask Bran about his experiences?"  
  
Jon's silence was answer enough. None of us had wondered the exacts of what Bran was now. The fact that he had Stark blood running through his veins had made us gain his trust. The calm demeanor he held made me trust him. I had trusted him more than I ever should have. He was a different man than he had been before. If I was right about him being the nothing, we had all misjudged the man. Even if Jon were never to admit what his brother had become, I trusted him to do the right thing and protect the people of Westeros.  
  
"No one did and that's why we're in this situation." Tyrion said. "His story seemed to be the heroic tale of Bran Stark. After being pushed from the tower by my own brother, he got numerous visions and eventually found out he was a warg. But not just any warg, he possessed the ability to enter the body of humans. He used this ability at least once to control Hodor."  
  
Even before becoming the Three-Eyed Raven the Stark child had been more than powerful. I sat down and considered this new information. Normally wargs could only enter the minds of animals while the minds of humans were beyond their ability to enter. I wondered what Hodor had thought of being invaded like that. Ghost wanted me to stay inside him while Drogon had successfully kicked me out of himself. If Bran hadn't made his intentions clear the poor man would have been more than confused. I prayed that this was before the boy had turned into a great evil.  
  
"That was the first real thing that caught my attention." Tyrion continued. "It is possible he was right that it was a mere accident he was able to enter Hodor's body. But he talked about it like it was a major accomplishment. He was proud of having done such a thing. He was far from ashamed from invading a person's privacy like he did."  
  
"It has been awhile since that incident." Jon argued. "He was just at peace with what he is."  
  
"You have to accept that your brother is capable of horrible things now." Khaleesi interjected. "Viserys was not always the monster he became. It took time to become what he did."  
  
"Bran is not Viserys."  
  
Jon's fear scent carried over to his voice. His tone was a mix of both anger and fear. It must be taking all of his willpower to keep sane. Khaleesi had tried to show understanding, but she could never comprehend how Jon viewed family. Both had completely different upbringings. While Jon had suffered the abuse of a bastard, it was not the same that Khaleesi experienced. He was never raped by his family while my love had almost been multiple times.  
  
"No Bran is not Viserys, he could actually cause a problem." Tyrion said loudly. "Bran encountered what he called the previous Three-Eyed Raven. It was a man that had managed to live far longer than any human could. If Bran is the villain of this story then he could be near immortal. If Bran is the true villain then not stopping him now could lead to horrors for generations to come."  
  
"And what do you mean by 'stopping him'?" Jon asked angrily.  
  
"Asking him to politely stop and if not we banish him. I never thought you were that dense to risk the lives of everyone."  
  
"You're advocating to killing without asking him."  
  
"We will make sure before we kill him." Khaleesi said. "You have my word."  
  
Jon nodded but was otherwise silent. He had good reason not to trust her word. She had been close to burning down King's Landing or die trying. If she had succeeded then the woman I loved would have died. A cruel queen that paid no attention to her heart would have replaced Khaleesi. That had only been one time and it was a darkness she would have to continue to fight against. Hopefully she would always be able to take control, but that was not a certainty. Having seen her so lost and afraid had made me doubt how strong she was. While in my heart I would always believe in her, my mind was having a harder time believing the sentiment.  
  
"I think it is more than likely that Bran is not a good man." Tyrion said and looked into his goblet. "We don't know for certain what went on with him beyond the Wall. There are many strange magical creatures that live in this world. Most lay hidden and dormant until an event triggers them into action. It could be that Bran ran into one of the dark creatures of the world. Who could blame him for falling after that? The dead are only one of the few things that are supposed to lay beyond the Wall. There could be an ancient evil that managed to take on the form of Bran."  
  
"Bran is in control of Bran." Jon nearly shouted. "There is no ancient evil possessing him. You should stop drinking so much, Tyrion, and your senses wouldn't be clouded."  
  
"And how was I supposed to get through this meeting? Sober?"  
  
"This is not a joke, Lannister!"  
  
"Not a funny one in any case."  
  
As the bastard glared at the Imp, I let out a low growl. The drunken fool smirked at me and merely shrugged. Jon had no hope of making Tyrion feel ashamed if the man didn't feel those emotions. He did have a point that getting through such a serious discussion was easier when you couldn't think clearly. It would've been better to have been drunk when encountering the nothing for the first time. Maybe the nightmares wouldn't be so harsh if that had been the case.  
  
"Bran is a Stark and would never betray his House." Jon said and started to pace the room. "If you suggest him ruling Winterfell, he says that is not his place. Maybe events could force his hand, but he would never seek out power. Not everyone seeks out power, though I'm sure that is a hard thing for people in this room to understand. If my brother had evil plans for Westeros in his mind, Sansa would have noticed. There is nothing my cousin wouldn't do to protect her home."  
  
The man uttered his cousin's name with such reverence it reminded me of how I used to say Khaleesi's name. I wondered if anyone else in the room had noticed or if it was only due to my direwolf ears I could tell the truth. The only one I thought would have picked up Jon's tone was Tyrion. The Imp was annoying but far from dumb.  
  
[None of House Stark would allow themselves to think such dark thoughts.] I said. [Sansa is wise beyond her years, but still bound by her heart. She is not so cold as to forget about familial bonds and how much they mean. All of us already know that Bran refers to himself as the Three-Eyed Raven instead of his actual name. The only thing none of us could have predicated was how little of his former self he had in him. I am sorry, Jon, but you have lost this fight.]  
  
"Jorah says that he admires Jon and the rest of House Stark's desire to protect their own." Khaleesi translated. "He points out that while Sansa is wise, she still has the weakness of being limited by her heart. We all know that Bran prefers to be called the Three-Eyed Raven and maybe that means more than any of us first thought."  
  
My love didn't tell Jon sorry for me and I could tell why. It was not her place to apologize for me. Besides, all of us should be focused on the matter at hand and not our emotions. There would be time afterwards for me to show my regret to Jon. Podrick was still alive and would be more than happy to deliver messages to Jon on my behalf.  
  
"I can't argue with you anymore." Jon said with a sigh and leaned against a wall. "There is no point if you wish to demonize Bran. So I won't stand in your way of killing him."  
  
"We will not kill him until we are sure." Khaleesi reassured the bastard. "I will not kill an innocent man."  
  
"You were willing to kill the innocents in King's Landing."  
  
"And that was a mistake I avoided. It is a mistake I will not repeat ever again."  
  
"How do you plan to make sure Bran is innocent? Or will you use the tiniest amount of proof to justify killing him?"  
  
[None of us want to kill Bran!] I shouted and let out a loud howl. [None of us wants Bran to be the enemy! Be the man your father believed you to be!]  
  
Everyone was silent and for a moment I thought they had all heard me. Then I remembered how deadly a direwolf howl was on the outside. To me it had seemed just like a normal yell. The fact of how deadly my body was now did not instantly occur to me. At least everyone had stopped arguing amongst themselves. Jon needed to stop being so defensive of Bran so that the discussion could move on. For awhile now we had all stalled because of the poor bastard's feelings. It was me, not any of them, that would have to battle the nothing. Yet I had said nothing about my fear.  
  
"Jorah says we need to stop discussing Bran and start figuring out how to find out the identity of the nothing." Khaleesi said once everyone was able to think clearly.  
  
"Jorah is the only one to see the nothing." Tyrion replied. "There has been no one else who has entered the nothing's home. Though others in the world might exist, he is the only one we know of. I doubt that fact has escaped his mind."  
  
I nodded to confirm the Imp's guess. It had been hard enough to see the nothing once and to see it again...the idea was far from pleasant. But my fear would not stand in the way of my honor like love had so long ago. Though it was a time I would always regret, at least I had been human then. I didn't have honor but I ha-no, I would not pity myself. Not at this time when the fate of the world hung in the balance.  
  
[I will do it.] I said.  
  
"Jorah will do it." Khaleesi said and scratched behind my ear.  
  
Even though the fear threatened to overwhelm me, her touch managed to calm me down just enough. The recent memory of being in the great darkness made me want to run away from the task. But I was their only hope and did not have the luxury of retreat. So I focused on my love's touch and prepared my mind for another journey into the black.


	10. Rytsas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah Mormont finds out the truth about the nothing and the Night King.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long. I kept having life send me curveballs.

It took a moment for me to figure how to return to the darkness. Before I had reached it when traveling into Drogon's body. But now there was no mind I was reaching for. After taking a deep breath it felt like there was a hidden door that I could now see. It was heavy and cold as if it were doing its best to repel me. While I wanted to instantly give up on my mission, that wasn't possible. All of Westeros was depending on me to figure out who the nothing was. If, in fact, the entity was an actual person. Jon and everyone else needed to know if Bran Stark was an enemy.  
  
With all my might I shoved against the door. Each time my shoulder slammed into it there was the sound of thunder and the feel of the earth moving underneath me. This was all in my mind and none of what I was feeling could actually be happening. This wasn't about fighting against the door, it was about facing my own mind. Though fear soaked into the deepest parts of me, I focused on the door opening. If I truly believed the door just opening was possible, it would be. While focusing on the door opening I held out my hand. The door opened as if a great gust of wind had given it no choice in the matter.  
  
Before any doubt could make me recoil, I flung myself through the door. This experience felt much different than before. Maybe because of the different planes needed to get to other minds and finding an entity that lived in the darkness. That was another thing that was different about this time: there was no darkness.  
  
My mind felt as if it were seeing all aspects of the world at once. Yet none of my senses could properly say what I was seeing. If I had a stomach in this version of myself I would have vomited. I was being turned every way and yet staying still. I was moving by the simple act of standing still. Not knowing what would happen, I consciously tried to move and found things stabilizing. My mind felt the cold of the Far North and the heat of Essos at the same time. It was good not to feel sick but how would I get to the nothing from here?  
  
Deciding to look more at this version of reality before searching for Bran, I started to focus more on what I was feeling. There was a sense of shame and I followed the feeling. Suddenly I saw myself and Lynesse fleeing into exile. Even though I had shamed my House beyond reason, I still would not take Longclaw. It was mine no longer and that was something I accepted. The next moment Lynesse left me for a wealthier man and there was no anger in my mind anymore. She had made her decision which had led me to serving Khaleesi. Though, I admit, the thought of her suffering now would make me happy.  
  
Through the many miles of memory I found a trace of the darkness. Fear made my mind cold but my honor wouldn't let me turn back now. While wanting to turn away, I started to push through the boundary that separated me from the nothing. But before I could break through a force pushed me back into the landscape of memory. As I spiraled through past, present, and future there was a laughter that shook my mind. It must be the nothing was toying with me until it decided to speak. How much did it know about me, my love, and all those who would stop at nothing to destroy it? And if it knew we were after it, would it be afraid or merely amused?  
  
Suddenly I saw things that were in the present and did not involve me. My mind, possibly helped by the nothing, was able to expand its sight. In the matter of moments I saw the day to day events of King's Landing. The rats had the same importance as soldiers. It took awhile, or possibly only a moment, to take control. My mind then went quickly to the Red Keep and to Cersei Lannister. If I could find out her strategy it would be just as valuable as any information about the nothing I could find.  
  
Cersei had allied herself with Euron Greyjoy to help better herself. But the king had never seemed to be anything resembling trustworthy. Indeed this vision showed he had betrayed her and was doing his best to kill her. It was too hard to hear his voice but his body language indicated he was having fun taunting the Lannister.  
  
How could I feel for Cersei's situation? She had been foolish to think that Euron could ever be trusted. That she could ever control him. There should be hate coursing through my mind's version of veins. Instead I felt pity for her and prayed she would survive this fight. The moment the Greyjoy held a sword to her throat I realized how much I had underestimated her. The Mountain had been hiding in the shadows for her signal which meant she had planned for this turn of events.  
  
Suddenly Euron moved just as the Mountain was about to decapitate him. The man was not able to fight fairly and started to run away while trying desperately to maintain his dignity. Cersei must have called her guard back as Euron was able to escape with his fleet. Or maybe he had made a move that assured him he would survive to see another day.  
  
Cersei and Euron were no longer a united front. Like Khaleesi and her dragons, the Lannister was not as powerful without allies. She could make all the speeches but she could not send an army after my queen. Yet she did still present dangers. She had wormed her way to the Iron Throne which meant to underestimate her was to court death.  
  
JORAH. A great voice said and suddenly I was in darkness. YOU CANNOT BE SO WEAK AS TO BE DISTURBED BY A SIMPLE PUSH.  
  
"You were testing me?" I asked and nearly jumped at the sound of my own voice.  
  
In this darkness, with the nothing in front of me, my body had been returned to me. I must have been so focused on my missing body on a subconscious level that it had been returned to me. At least in this reality. It was hard to understand seeing out of my eyes and having hands instead of paws. Even though my greatest desire was to rediscover my body, that wasn't why I was here. Khaleesi and the others were waiting for my answer.  
  
"Who are you?" I asked.  
  
YOU CAN CALL ME BRAN STARK. The nothing said and it felt like he waved his hand dismissively. THAT WILL BE BEST FOR NOW. I PREFER TO BE CALLED THE THREE-EYED RAVEN NOWADAYS. IT FITS THIS PERSONA BETTER.  
  
I could feel Bran in the voice. The truth would break Jon's heart and I was loathe to return with the truth. He had been holding on to hope of his brother being innocent. Now to destroy the nothing, we would have to kill Bran. Though it seemed impossible that killing the boy would be enough to destroy this entity.  
  
"So you inhabit the body of Bran Stark?" I asked. "Are you merely a demon possessing him?"  
  
DO YOU WANT TO MAKE MY MURDER MORE PALPABLE TO YOUR SENSES? Bran retorted. LET US MAKE THIS MEETING BE BETWEEN FRIENDS AND NOT ENEMIES. YOU HAVE SO MUCH PROMISE IN YOUR FUTURE THAT IT WOULD BE A WASTE TO DIE RIGHT NOW. OR LATER. DEPENDING ON THIS CONVERSATION.  
  
The boy was correct. I wanted any delusion to believe I wasn't actually killing Bran once we had our fight. Once I helped save the world from a great darkness. Yet, like Jon, I would have to accept the truth and do what needed to be done. Sometimes doing the honorable thing meant crossing lines and getting blood on one's own hands.  
  
"We should have let the Night King kill you." I said sadly. "The world would have been safer then. Once he killed you, we would have killed him in turn."  
  
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A WISE DECISION, JORAH. Bran agreed. BUT YOU DID NOT AND NOW YOU STAND BEFORE ME. IT WAS GOOD SEEING THE ONLY CREATURE THAT COULD DESTROY ME DIE. IT WAS SO EASY TO GIVE MELISANDRE A FALSE VISION SO THAT ARYA STARK WOULD HAVE THE COURAGE TO KILL THE NIGHT KING.  
  
"So she isn't Azor Ahai?" I asked and was rewarded with a cruel laugh.  
  
AZOR AHAI IS STILL ALIVE. Bran replied once he was done laughing. BUT I DOUBT THE VILLAIN WILL EVER DARE ATTACK ME. THE PERSON IS SMART, BUT NOT SMART ENOUGH TO ATTACK ME.  
  
The prophesied hero was still alive! If we found this man or woman then all could be saved. But with Bran aware of me and knowing I wasn't his ally any longer, it would be impossible to find this person in time. Yet we had to find this person so that Westeros could survive another day. We would sacrifice everything so that humanity lived for many more generations.  
  
THE NIGHT KING WAS AN IMPRESSIVE HUMAN, IF A NUISANCE. Bran said. SOMEHOW, BEYOND ALL THE WISDOM OF THE CHILDREN OF THE FOREST, HE WAS ABLE TO RETAIN HIS HUMANITY. HE WAS ABLE TO RESIST AND SLOWLY GATHER OTHERS TO HIS CAUSE. HE WAS ABLE TO TURN HIS POWERS AGAINST THE CHILDREN OF THE FOREST. HE AND HIS ARMY BECAME SUCH A THREAT WE HAD TO CALL THE HUMANS TO OUR AID.  
  
From the moment I had heard about the Night King there was no doubt in my mind that he was a villain. That it was up to all of us at Winterfell to kill him so that humanity would be safe. That the battle at the home of House Stark would matter more than any other bloodbath I had been a part of. Yet Bran told a story of a heroic man that resisted his enslavement so that humans could still live in Westeros. He had no reason to tell me such a lie and so this was the truth. When I returned back to Ghost's body would anyone believe me? Would anyone want to celebrate the Night King's sacrifice?  
  
Was the Night King Azor Ahai? Had we killed the only one who could stop Bran? No, the Stark had said the hero was still alive. I wondered what would have happened if the Night King had tried to end Bran's life in the godswood. Obviously the man could end the boy's life as he had cried the Night King had to die.  
  
"Why aren't you worried that Azor Ahai will kill you?" I asked.  
  
YOU WONDER IF I AM LYING. Bran asked with a chuckle. THE NIGHT KING IS ONE OF THE FEW THAT COULD STOP ME. BUT IF AZOR AHAI SET THEIR MIND TO IT, THEY COULD KILL ME. I WOULD BE POWERLESS TO STOP THEM IF THEY FOCUSED ALL THEIR EMOTIONS ON KILLING ME. I AM NOT WORRIED BECAUSE THE HERO DOES NOT HAVE THAT FOCUS. IN THE FUTURE THEY MIGHT, BUT NOT NOW.  
  
"If there is a prophecy saying Azor Ahai will kill you, he will."  
  
A PROPHECY JUST MEANS THAT AN EVENT IS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR THAN OTHERS. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY PROPHECIES OVER COUNTLESS MILLENNIA TO NEVER HAPPEN. HUMANS THINK THAT MEANS PROPHECIES ARE WRONG, WHEN THAT IS NOT THE CASE.  
  
There was fear in Bran's voice. He was attempting to lie to me. He wanted me to feel helpless when the truth was he was afraid of Azor Ahai coming after him. He might be correct about prophecies as a whole, but the Azor Ahai Prophecy would never let him sleep. I felt it was only his ego that stopped him from killing the hero outright.  
  
But something other than his fear made the story feel untrue...  
  
"If the Night King aimed to save humanity, why kill so many of us?" I asked. "He could have asked for our help. He could have told us that the Children of the Forest were the true enemy but he didn't."  
  
HE DIDN'T KILL BECAUSE IT PLEASED HIM. Bran replied with a sigh. BUT HE HAD NO CHOICE AS HE NEEDED A LARGE ENOUGH ARMY TO KILL THE CHILDREN OF THE FOREST. THERE WAS NO OPTION FOR HIM TO GET SUCH A LARGE ARMY EXCEPT BY KILLING SO THAT HE COULD RESURRECT THE NEEDED TROOPS. THE WHITE WALKERS WERE HIS COMMANDERS THAT HELPED HIM PLAN EACH BATTLE TO PERFECTION. THE WIGHTS WERE MERELY PAWNS TO KILL AND DIE WITHOUT HARMING THOSE IN COMMAND. SORT OF LIKE HUMAN ARMIES IN SOME RESPECTS.  
  
"And what about talking with humans?"  
  
THE NIGHT KING AND THE WHITE WALKERS DID THEIR BEST TO COMMUNICATE. BUT THEIR LANGUAGE CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD BY ANY LIVING THING WHICH HAMPERED NEGOTIATIONS WITH THOSE UNINTERESTED IN THE TRUTH. CRASTER WAS ONE OF THE FEW HUMANS THAT ACTUALLY LISTENED TO THE TRUE HERO OF HUMANITY.  
  
I knew of Craster and how my father had allowed him to continue. Yet the incestuous man had cared not for humanity and only for his perverted desires. He cared only to be left alone and to help the Night's Watch when needed. To think that this man had helped those desiring humanity's freedom was hard for me to understand.  
  
THERE ARE GOOD AND BAD PEOPLE ON EITHER SIDE IN EVERY CONFLICT EVER FOUGHT. Bran mocked me. DID YOU SAY THAT OR SOMETHING SIMILAR? YOUR EXACT WORDS DO NOT MATTER. HOWEVER, YOUR STATEMENT SHOULD HAVE WARNED YOU ABOUT THE TRUE CONFLICT OF THIS WORLD. THE NIGHT KING WAS NOT ALWAYS HONORABLE AS WERE HUMANS. AS WERE YOU.  
  
Honor was a forgotten art to most. The majority of people started out with a good cause and then slowly broke apart as the gods toyed with them. It usually didn't take much for people to start to leave honor behind when it suited them. I did my best to uphold my honor but if a situation called for a more callous approach, that was what I chose. I would never die because of being honorable. Except for Khaleesi...  
  
Khaleesi and the others would need to hear this. Bran seemed even more impossible to kill than before. It had taken the Night King time to gather an army and then he had been pushed back behind the Wall. After that setback it had taken him countless generations to gather a big enough army to kill the Children of the Forest and the last Three-Eyed Raven. How was I or anyone besides Azor Ahai supposed to have a chance at killing this monster?  
  
YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY, JORAH MORMONT. Bran replied calmly. YOU ARE NOT HUMAN AND THEREFORE NOT BOUND TO THE RULES OF THAT FLESH.  
  
"You wanted me like this!" I yelled. "There was a way to return me to my body even after Melisandre died, wasn't there?"  
  
OF COURSE THERE WAS. BUT YOU ARE MUCH BETTER AS A SPIRIT THAN A MERE MAN. YOU ARE BETTER IN THE BODY OF A DIREWOLF THAN THAT OF A MAN. THE TRANSITION WILL BE ROUGH BUT I FORESEE A FUTURE WHERE YOU WILL BECOME COMFORTABLE IN YOUR NEW REALITY AND BECOME MORE POWERFUL. YOU WILL START TO SEE FROM MY POINT OF VIEW ONE DAY.  
  
"And where will you be in that future?"  
  
I CANNOT SEE MYSELF BUT IT IS CERTAIN I AM THERE. MY THOUGHTS OF YOU MUST BE BLOCKING EVERYTHING ELSE FROM MY MIND. NOTHING CAN KILL ME. NOT EVEN AZOR AHAI. YOU MUST LEARN TO LET GO OF IDLE HOPE. EMBRACE WHAT YOU ARE NOW, JORAH, AND GIVE UP THOUGHTS OF YESTERDAY.  
  
Was Bran saying he admired me to the point I blocked everything out of his mind? Had he truly been doing his best to protect me? Even if his ways were twisted. Or did I have a great future ahead of me?  
  
"Azor Ahai will kill you." I said defiantly. "I will find him and he will kill you. You are scared of him."  
  
AZOR AHAI ALREADY KNOWS OF ME. Bran said and laughed. THE FOOL HAS STOOD FACE TO FACE WITH ME AND DONE NOTHING. YOU CANNOT COUNT ON SUCH A PERSON TO FINISH WHAT THE NIGHT KING STARTED. BETTER RUN OFF TO BEAR ISLAND AND ALLOW ME TO RULE. THERE IS NO CHANCE OF STOPPING ME.  
  
Suddenly I was in Ghost's body and panting. Khaleesi, Jon, and Tyrion all looked at me in anticipation. I didn't know how much time had actually passed as time felt much different where Bran was. It felt like mere seconds and lifetimes had passed me by. Without the ability to talk normally, my mind had to be quiet for me to speak. No need for Khaleesi to feel the utter fear that coursed through my veins.  
  
"Jorah?" Khaleesi asked with worry in her voice. "Who is the nothing?"  
  
[The nothing is Bran Stark.] I replied and curled up into a ball. [It is him. It is a child of House Stark.]  
  
"What did he say?" Jon inquired.  
  
There was silence as Khaleesi rubbed her head. I had accidentally put too much emotions into my thoughts. She wasn't screaming in pain which meant I had done my job at protecting her from the full truth. My love and queen didn't need to know the true horror that was Bran Stark.  
  
"The nothing is Bran Stark." Khaleesi said and stared at Jon. "You can't run from the truth anymore. You must face it or else all our people will die."  
  
Jon let out a loud cry, I stayed curled in a ball, Khaleesi tried to look strong, and Tyrion walked out of the room to presumably search for more wine. Much more wine.


	11. Deadly Ally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Euron Greyjoy abandons Cersei Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow decide to try to ally with the queen for a short time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Cersei Lannister so much but Jorah Mormont doesn't. I don't think I've been able to have a character state my true opinions on her in any of my fics.

"Are you sure about this?" Khaleesi asked.  
  
I nodded as we walked around the ship. Everyone around us was too busy and nervous about the near future that they weren't paying attention to us. There was Euron's fleet that could appear at any time and Cersei might not be welcoming once we arrived at King's Landing. Most were unaware about Bran Stark's true allegiance which would have given them just more to be worried about. They didn't need to know even if we managed to get to King's Landing and convince Cersei to ally herself with us, we could still lose.  
  
"I don't trust her." Khaleesi said and crossed her arms. "She never sent her men up North when they were needed. From what Tyrion has said about her, she is less trustworthy than I thought."  
  
Unsaid was the assertion that he had been more than foolish in suggesting getting a wight to convince his sister. He should have known how Cersei would react. Now that I knew what Bran was, I thought it could be that the Stark had manipulated the Imp's mind so that there would be a chance his enemies would die. Could that mean Azor Ahai was one of the party that had gone to capture a wight?  
  
[Sometimes when ruling you have to ally with...people like Cersei Lannister.] I replied. [I do not suggest trusting her but to always be on guard. Yet who else do we have to fight against Euron Greyjoy?]  
  
"Jon and I can defeat Euron's fleet." Khaleesi argued. "Or are you suggesting we ally with Cersei in an attempt to peacefully take King's Landing?"  
  
[If there is a way to spare the people of King's Landing from anyone's wrath, we should. There are so many innocents in that city. So many that have no ability to leave its confines.]  
  
"And I would have burned all of them without thought. Bran showed you more of your abilities, if you are able to always do this, they could make you a powerful king by my side."  
  
[Khaleesi, you will have a strong king by your side but it won't be me. Your body demands to be loved.]  
  
"If I need to fuck, I'll find a mistress for myself. I am sure everyone will want the excuse to share my bed. But I won't need to find a lover because it will be a betrayal to you."  
  
There was nothing more I could say on the matter. She would have to learn of her body's needs on her own. The only reason she hadn't needed a lover until Daario was the grief that had consumed her. When a person goes through enough grief there are many changes their body makes. Some people found they don't need to eat as much while others found it impossible to fuck.  
  
"There is someone else we could ally ourselves with." Khaleesi said and rested her arms on the railing. "Someone who would be able to kill Bran which would make reclaiming the Iron Throne much easier."  
  
[Azor Ahai could be anyone.] I retorted. [We don't have the time to search for them.]  
  
"You think it could've been someone who went to get a wight?"  
  
I growled as my thoughts had betrayed me. Cersei, Euron, and Bran were enough to occupy my thoughts. Keeping Khaleesi safe in King's Landing might not be easy and her safety would make it hard to think of anything else. Unlike before, I was not able to speak as a human would. Not everyone would understand me and those who could would hear words I did not intend. Either we would perish in fighting Euron and Bran, or we would live. If we survived then it would be time to look for Azor Ahai so that the nothing could be defeated.  
  
[Tormund and Sandor are still in the North.] I pointed out. [If we get too close, Bran will be able to draw Northern suspicion on you.]  
  
"Sansa would never let anything become of that paranoia." Khaleesi replied.  
  
[Sansa Stark is an amazing woman, but she is a politician and ruler. There will be a point that if she tries to enforce her will, chaos could consume the North. Having some suspicion of you might be necessary if we go to Winterfell now.]  
  
"Have you ever thought that you might be Azor Ahai? You were able to contact Bran and were on the mission to get the wight."  
  
I had never thought of myself as the legendary hero. The hero reborn would need to be one that was worthy of devotion. I had sold people into slavery and spied on Khaleesi when we first met. Most likely it was Jon as he was one of the purest souls that Westeros had to offer. He had come back from the dead and most likely fulfilled more of the prophecy than I ever could. No, I had never been a contender for Azor Ahai.  
  
[You know who I am, Khaleesi.] I told her as we headed back to her cabin. [I am not any hero.]  
  
"You are not a pathetic man, my love." Khaleesi said with a smile. "You have done terrible things in the past but you aren't a bad man. If any alive is Azor Ahai, it is you."  
  
[Love blinds you.]  
  
"It does not, Jorah. I have seen the truest parts of yourself and you are worthy of great songs."  
  
[Have you ever thought Jon is Azor Ahai?]  
  
The only response my love had to that was to laugh loudly. She was still laughing when she opened the door to her cabin and we both went inside. Maybe I thought too highly of him or maybe she thought too little of him. If she had not chosen me, he would have made a good match for her. He was everything I could have been. It could be that these thoughts came easier to me since he was not sharing her bed.  
* * *  
"Your Grace, we have arrived." A soldier said after knocking on the door.  
  
"I will be out shortly." Khaleesi said.  
  
"Yes, Your Grace."  
  
My love was sitting on the edge of her bed. She gripped the edges tightly as her breathing slowly went back to normal. I was sitting by the edge of the door waiting for the moment she was ready to move. As she pulled strength from the queen that was inside her, she walked to the door and I took my place beside her.  
  
She opened the door and the Northerner bowed deeply to her before leading her to the docks. There was much movement everywhere in the ship as people prepared for any betrayal that could happen. We were visiting the woman who had blown up the Sept of Baelor. Though various rumors were said throughout the city that took the blame away from the Lannister.  
  
Once we stepped onto the docks both Drogon and Rhaegal flew around while letting out vicious roars. They were warning Cersei that there would be hell to pay if she dared slay their mother. I steadied my mind so that I could go into Drogon's body at a moment's notice. There had been time to practice going into his body on the ride to King's Landing. If there was a betrayal I would fly Khaleesi away if at all possible.  
  
Jon, Tyrion, and Davos joined us once we had stepped off the docks. All of us looked uneasily at those in Cersei's Queensguard. One or two of them looked at the dragons above and I smelled fear coming off of them in waves. If they weren't so loyal it might have been possible to convince them to forsake their positions.  
  
The Stark smelled nervous but revealed nothing of his thoughts to the others. He might not have been raised as royalty, but his posture showed royal blood flowed through in his veins. Tyrion and Davos didn't hide their nervousness quite as well but did a good job at feigning indifference. Khaleesi showed herself to be a queen and revealed none of the fear she had in her cabin. I had the easiest time hiding my emotions. Not many could decipher the expressions of a direwolf. Most would assume I was angry all of the time.  
  
It was odd looking at King's Landing through the eyes of a direwolf. After seeing the city while searching for the nothing, it looked lifeless. My ears and nose picked up thousands of signals of life. I heard footsteps and smelled freshly baked food. If I hadn't grown used to my new body the city would have soon overwhelmed me. Yet it was nothing in comparison with how I had viewed this place a few nights ago.  
  
When we entered the Red Keep the Queensguard was reinforced with regular guards. The guards would be easier to deal with except for the fact they had more numbers than the Queensguards. I walked closer to Khaleesi as we entered the throne room. Cersei stayed seated but I could smell the fear that showed all she wanted was to run out of the room. She knew she had no power without Euron as he had been her last ally. She also must know her survival wasn't assured once the final war was over.  
  
"I'm glad to see you survived." Cersei said with barely concealed rage. "I received your raven and am curious why you think I'd ever accept your help."  
  
Khaleesi stiffened and I could feel the rage inside of her. She did not like to be disrespected, especially by one such as Cersei. She could have come in the night and burned King's Landing to the ground. I knew how much the loss of power affected my love. But I also trusted her to keep calm during this meeting.  
  
"Because Euron Greyjoy betrayed you." Khaleesi replied calmly. "We know that he tried to kill you and he was able to flee this city. You won't feel safe until he is dead. I want him dead as do you. At the moment we have common ground."  
  
While I loathed the Lannister with the depths of my being, I admired how she reacted. She could have easily yelled out her shock and acknowledged how weak she really was in this situation. Instead the only reaction she had to my love's statement was a look in her eyes that passed with a blink.   
  
"In the Dragonpit Euron was merely pretending to abandon me." Cersei retorted and leaned back in the throne. "And I believe you met him on your way back to Dragonstone. So why do you assume he isn't still loyal to me?"  
  
"Ser Jorah Mormont has seen it." Jon replied. "That is why we risked coming here. The only thing a man like him is interested in is power. He decided that you were weak enough to kill. You survived."  
  
"I wasn't aware Ser Jorah had any powers."  
  
"He was killed during the Battle of Winterfell and rose anew."  
  
"The same battle you had promised to send me men for." Khaleesi said.  
  
Cersei looked dismissively at Khaleesi. We should have never expected to have reinforcements from King's Landing. The only reason I had hoped that she would keep her promise was that Tyrion had trusted her in the matter. Yet he had made a deadly mistake which had at least not cost us the war. He had learned his lesson and was now even wiser because of the experience.  
  
"If Euron was still your ally, we would have encountered him by now." Tyrion pointed out. "He wouldn't have allowed us into the city without a fight. He wants a fight so that it will be easier to kill us."  
  
"Even if I ally with you, who is to say I will live?" Cersei asked with a sneer. "I would die either way."  
  
"If we decide to kill you, at least you will die with honor." Jon replied.  
  
"I don't see how much good honor is to a dead man. And you still haven't proven what you said about Jorah is true."  
  
Khaleesi looked at me with worry on her face. It would, of course, be beneficial if I could speak directly to Cersei. But that didn't seem to be likely to happen. I could talk with my love because our romance went so deep. I could also talk with people who were innocent or at least closer to innocence than most. Cersei was not someone I was connected to deeply and she was far from innocent. She had most likely committed more crimes than could ever be properly counted.  
  
[Queen Cersei Lannister.] I said and nearly choked on the title 'queen'.  
  
Cersei said nothing but raised an eyebrow at Jon. In her posture there was a good attempt at feigning boredom. A dark part of my mind taunted me with the fact that Cersei is what Khaleesi could have become. They mirrored each other so perfectly at times it was hard to remind myself how worthy of devotion Khaleesi was. I wondered if such thoughts plagued her mind.  
  
"When Jorah rose from the dead, he wasn't human." Jon said after a short glance from Daenerys. "I had allowed him to warg into my direwolf's body if he should die. Before he could return to his body, it was burned as were all the fallen heroes of the Battle of Winterfell."  
  
"You mean to tell me that is Ser Jorah Mormont?" Cersei asked dismissively. "I will love seeing you prove that. How can he speak without a mouth?"  
  
"He uses his mind to speak to people. Not everyone can hear him."  
  
"Are you able to hear him?"  
  
"No, but Queen Daenerys is able to. She and others act as translators."  
  
"And what if one of your...translators lies? What if the Targaryen and others are just making things up?"  
  
"Do you see how close Jorah is standing to Daenerys? If that were truly my direwolf he would be close to my side. He would not stray so far while in this throne room."  
  
I wondered if Cersei had ever really trusted Jon or if she was too scared to admit the truth. The Mountain moved slightly which brought my attention to him. Qyburn, the man who the Lannister highly trusted, was nowhere to be found. It could be that he was dead as my vision had not focused on him at all.  
  
I walked to Cersei and the guards took out their swords and raised their spears. A direwolf was not a creature one dealt with lightly. What felt like a peaceful walk to me, was a show of force to everyone else. At least as a man I could throw down my blade to show I meant no harm. A direwolf didn't have such an ability.  
  
I stopped and thought of what I would do next. I ended up keeping my hind legs where they were and bent my front legs so that my upper body leaned forward. Hopefully everyone in the throne room would take this action as a bow. After a moment I walked back to Khaleesi's side.  
  
"You could have trained that dog." Cersei said. "That is hardly a sign of the thing being Jorah."  
  
"Then who gave the signal?" Jon asked. "You have stated before that I am the most trustworthy person in Westeros. So why would I lie?"  
  
"You are right that the treacherous Euron Greyjoy did attempt to betray me. Unfortunately he did escape. And now you come not to protect me, but to kill him. How would I ever defy you when you have two dragons and one of the most powerful wargs?"  
  
The fear scents coming off of Khaleesi, Jon, and everyone else were less potent. The threat was gone and now we would discuss what came after. Cersei's Queensguard didn't have to worry about being burned alive by a dragon while Khaleesi was assured the Iron Throne. While we wouldn't ask the Lannister to give up her seat now, there was no doubt that was our intent by the end of this charade.  
  
"You have the support of every man I can spare." Cersei said. "We will defeat Euron together."  
  
"And then I will reclaim what is mine." Daenerys stated.  
  
"And I assume you will burn me alive with your dragons."  
  
"That depends on your behavior."  
  
"I am sure it does."  
  
After an hour we left. It had been decided that Cersei would keep her title and seat until my love decided to take her place as ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. As for if the Lannister would live or die...that would be harder to decide. We had promised to make her trial fair and Jon wouldn't allow us to kill Cersei outright.  
  
"We should have killed Cersei just now, Jon." Khaleesi said as we made our way to the docks. "We don't need her."  
  
"You can't go killing people because it's convenient." Jon argued. "Besides, when we kill her we shouldn't have to focus on other wars to fight."  
  
"So you will kill her?"  
  
"I will stay true to my word."  
  
I could hear the hope in his voice. It must be the hope that Cersei did something that would allow him to kill her. No one loved that particular Lannister. She had done so much harm that if all the people who dreamed of killing her formed a line, there could again be a land bridge to Essos. Jon had particular reason to loathe her as she had killed his father. Even though I didn't have the memories with Eddard that Jon did, it was still a deep cut to find out he had died. At least once Khaleesi had changed me enough.  
  
"And what if Cersei does what she is supposed to?" Khaleesi asked.  
  
"From what I know of her, that isn't likely." Jon replied.


	12. The Night Before the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah Mormont and Daenerys Targaryen test a theory.

Khaleesi and I walked through the Red Keep and she kept marveling at everything she saw. If I had been human a smile would have come unbidden onto my face. After much debate everyone of high enough rank was allowed to stay in this place of safety. Though no one truly believed the Lannister would keep her word. It was not in her nature to do so. So all my senses were kept alert in case an assassination attempt was made on my life or my love's. I could escape into another body if I wanted to, but that seemed to be the coward's way out to me.  
  
"My family owned all of this." Khaleesi said and stopped to put her hand against a wall. "I dreamed about this place so much that it seems like a fantasy."  
  
[It is yours.] I replied proudly. [It is a reward for all the hardships you had to endure. It is a reward for becoming the queen Westeros needs.]  
  
"You know what's funny, Jorah? Sometimes I don't think I actually want to sit on the Iron Throne. It feels like something Viserys would want."  
  
[Then why fight so hard to get here? Why not stay in Essos?]  
  
"After I saw the bloody star, I felt the gods had given me a great destiny. It didn't seem possible that I could rise from the fire unscathed and not be part of a great story. Ever since you stopped me from burning King's Landing, I've thought a great deal about who I am. I've thought a great deal about how my emotions shaped me."  
  
I could feel the pain in my love's voice. While I had felt hurt by her actions, she had been crumbling inside. It had been evident to me that she was changing but Bran had been more important to my mind. If he wasn't defeated there was no chance of living a happy life with Khaleesi. Of course I had not become dismissive of my love's well-being, but I had not been fully attentive if I had missed this change.  
  
[It might have started out as a delusion in your mind, but it has become real.] I reassured my love. [You had the Dothraki cross the Narrow Sea, you dismantled slavery in Essos, and you fought in the Battle of Winterfell with dragonglass. You are the rightful queen of the Seven Kingdoms.]  
  
"What about Jon's claim to the throne?" She asked. "Isn't he just as worthy a ruler as me?"  
  
[He is will make a fine Warden of the North, but he is no king.]  
  
"You think Jon would make a good ruler?"  
  
My thoughts had managed to betray me. I had not meant for her to hear my feelings about Jon as I was trying to consul her. I was trying to make her see that even if she was having doubts, they were unfounded. She had done more than enough to assure a time of peace for Westeros. She could help with forming my home into a greater place than it had originally been. Her rule would be a blessed reward for all those who had supported her. Jon would make a good ruler, of course he would, but I hadn't meant for her to hear that now.  
  
[He rose from a mere bastard to the of King of the North.] I said reluctantly. [He earned the loyalty of his people not from his blood, but from his actions. He risked everything to bend the knee to you. He risked everything to save Westeros from the Night King.]  
  
"And the Night King was a true hero." Khaleesi said softly and started to walk again. "If Jon had failed in preparing the North for the Night King, maybe Bran would be dead."  
  
[A being so powerful probably had another plan in case things turned out differently.]  
  
"What will happen if Jon is Azor Ahai? Will he be able to kill his own blood? He wasn't even able to lie to Cersei about bending the knee to me."  
  
[I think when he refused to lie to the Lannister it was because he wanted to impress you.]  
  
"Love does make you men do stupid things."  
  
I let out what I thought was a chuckle but was something else as Khaleesi looked around scared. It took her a moment to calm back down again. I looked to where she was leading us and I recognized the hallway that went to her bedroom. Our footsteps echoed in an empty hallway where only a few guards and Dothraki patrolled. The nomads had an angry look on their faces as if asking the guards to attack.  
  
"There is another thing I've been thinking about, Jorah." Khaleesi said after she shut her door behind us. "I believe we can make love again. You can enter the mind of a dragon which means you can enter the body of a human. You won't have to be stuck in Ghost's body. You can fuck me again."  
  
If I had still had only two legs I would've fallen. With four legs I managed to merely stumble. My soul had given up the hope of fucking Khaleesi again and so the idea had never occurred to me. She was, right, though, whatever barrier I had managed to break when entering Drogon's mind meant it was possible to enter a human body. My eyes looked down at my paws and imagined seeing hands again. The colors in the world would be bright instead of the faded tints my direwolf eyes now showed me. Why wasn't I as happy about this as I should be?  
  
[If we do find a human, I won't be in him all the time.] I said and hoped Khaleesi didn't notice the shock in my thoughts. [There are things about a direwolf that I can't bear to give up.]  
  
"We'll have a crown made for you that will fit a direwolf's head." Khaleesi said with a smile.  
  
[Do you want me as your king so badly because you're afraid?]  
  
Khaleesi was silent for a moment. I wondered how much of the thoughts I wanted to keep secret had entered her head. I shouldn't have said anything as I was also afraid. I was afraid of becoming king. I was afraid of being Azor Ahai. Lyanna Mormont, in one of her final acts, had forgiven me and so allowed me back home. If she had lived I would have had a celebration upon arriving back to Bear Island. Maybe I would have been offered me my old position of Lord of Bear Island.  
  
"You're afraid too." She replied and sat on her bed.  
  
[Wouldn't it be odd for you to fuck a man that didn't have my body?] I asked to try and take back my thoughts.  
  
While she thought I walked to her side so she could pet behind my ear. It felt so good when she scratched me. This feeling would be something I'd miss if I were to abandon Ghost's body altogether. My body would never be returned to me, a reality I had grown used to, and so it felt right to take in small pleasures like this.  
  
"It will be." Khaleesi replied. "I guess we could find a body that looks like yours. Not that it could ever equal yours. There are...certain measurements that no man could ever match."  
  
[I remember.] I said and licked her face.   
  
"You want me to tell you how big your cock was?"  
  
We chuckled. Or, at least, I did the direwolf equivalent. In one swift motion I was laying on her bed and she used me like a pillow. Ghost's body hardly felt the pressure as it was nothing compared to what a direwolf endured in the wild. His instincts made me want to race around the Red Keep and King's Landing. I was happy that one day I would get a human body. It didn't even matter it would be another man's body.  
  
"Is Ghost in there with you?" Khaleesi asked. "Is Ghost constantly watching everything you do?"  
  
[He is always with me, but he is asleep.] I reassured her. [Unless I want him to be awake. I assume I can wake him up.]  
  
"Good. I don't want another man prying into a space that isn't his. I love you no matter the body you're in. The only reason you being in Ghost made me sad was because it wasn't proper to fuck. Are you sure you wouldn't be willing to go into a man's body permanently?"  
  
[That man also would have a life to live. I couldn't enslave a man because of my selfish desires.]  
  
"Are you afraid about becoming a human forever or do you actually care about not enslaving a person?"  
  
[Both.]  
  
If I became human I would be able to hide the things I wanted kept secret. Khaleesi would always be able to know me more than most, but at least these moments would be gone forever. That should have been the main reason I agreed to helping to find a suitable host for me. A host? Was I now a parasite? The thought was sickening to me.  
  
"We would need to get a man who looks like you, is willing to give up his body to you, and is trustworthy ." Khaleesi said. "I trust you when you say Ghost isn't privy to all you do, but I'm worried some information might leak into his mind."  
  
[And when I'm not in his body, he will be close enough to do harm.] I agreed. [It will need to be someone trustworthy.]  
  
"Is it possible to kill you now?"  
  
[I'd like to think if I'm in a body when it dies, I'll die too.]  
  
We both looked at the door when there was a knock. I had heard the person's footsteps as he was walking but hadn't known where they were going. Maybe once being in Ghost's body long enough I would be able to predict where a person was going. A very useful skill both for hunting and protecting my love.  
  
"Come in." Khaleesi said once she had stood up.  
  
Jon closed the door once he was inside and the scent of arousal seemed to pulse from my love's body. The Stark looked confused about where he was and the scent of alcohol was thick on his breath. I jumped onto the floor and sniffed him. I knew the words that would soon come out of Khaleesi's mouth and wanted to come to a decision on my own.  
  
"Sorry, I got confused about which room was mine." Jon said. "I'll go now. I'm sorry."  
  
"I want to ask you a question." Khaleesi said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Jorah can go into the mind of Drogon. The mind of a dragon is impossible for most wargs to go into. So we think he can go into a person's body."  
  
"Daenerys, I don't want you like that anymore. And I have so-I just can't fuck my aunt."  
  
"I don't love you, Jon. Jorah is the only one I want to share my bed. And he says that Ghost is asleep so that any man he goes into won't experience making love to me."  
  
"I am not going to spend my remaining years being used for you two to fuck."  
  
Jon gently pushed me away from him and I went to my place by Khaleesi's side. I could understand him not wanting to be used purely for someone's carnal pleasure. In his place I would feel extremely uncomfortable about giving up my freedom to someone else. Maybe his honor would compel him to make a sacrifice for me?  
  
"We're not asking you to do this for a lifetime." Khaleesi replied sternly. "We just want to see if Jorah can go into a man and...it has been stressful without being able to make love to him. It has hurt him not to be able to fuck me."  
  
"It's been hard ever since I came back from the dead." Jon said sadly. "I keep wishing I was dead again. Nothing seems like it did before. Nothing feels real anymore. If Jorah will only use my body for a few hours and then give it back, I'd like to not exist for an hour or so. I don't care what you do with my flesh."  
  
Khaleesi tried to put a hand on his shoulder but he pushed it away. He looked at me and I nodded back. Once Jon's eyes closed I went into his body. The cold of the darkness didn't bother me as there was a great warmth waiting for me on the other side. I opened Jon's eyes and looked down at his hands.  
  
"Is he in there?" Khaleesi asked.  
  
"He's asleep." I replied and nearly fell down.  
  
My love's arms caught me as I grew used to only two legs. I hadn't had a problem with my human body while talking to Bran, but I was having issues now. Maybe because this wasn't my body. For one thing he was slightly shorter than me which gave me a skewed perspective of the world. Another thing was my eyes could now see the bright colors of the world which caused me to quickly turn my head to look at everything.  
  
"What is it?" My love asked.  
  
"Colors." I replied. "I almost forgot what they really looked like."  
  
"Direwolves can't see color?"  
  
"Not like humans can. Humans see things so differently."  
  
I had nearly forgotten about Ghost who was wearing a big grin on his face. There was energy in his body that needed to be released. I had been him for so long that I could feel what he did. I opened the door for a moment and suddenly he was racing through the halls.  
  
"I guess we're doing this." I said once I closed the door behind me.  
  
"You don't want to?" Khaleesi asked.  
  
"I don't feel like myself. This was a stupid idea. How can I perform in this body? How can I excite you if I'm not in the body you met me in? The body you fell for me in?"  
  
"I fell in love with the man inside. You have not changed, no matter how your appearance says otherwise."  
  
She took my hands and placed them on her tits. The feel of them made my cock harden. My lust for her body had returned quickly and I wanted to act on my baser instincts. She pulled my trembling body to the bed and sat me on the edge. Together we took off my clothing and I waited for her to do the same. Instead she knelt at my feet and placed her hands on my knees. How could I ever pleasure her with Jon's small cock? No wonder Khaleesi had quickly fallen out of love with the Stark. Surely she would take one taste of it and decide this was a bad idea.  
  
I looked down and watched in wonder as Daenerys started to give me a blowjob. My hands clutched at the sheets and my mouth tried to not let any sound out. After many minutes I couldn't control myself and started to moan. For so long I had denied any hope that I would feel these sensations ever again.  
  
I pushed her away gently and pushed her onto her back. It took me a minute to correctly position myself over her. Then I kissed her hard and started to fondle her tits. I took off her dress as delicately as I could with my body crying out for sweet release. Finally she was naked beneath me, her eyes full of primal need.  
  
"Jorah..." Khaleesi nearly purred.  
  
"Khaleesi..." I replied and slowly entered her.  
  
Jon's cock had even more differences than just the size. My love's cunt felt different and I was worried for a moment I'd go flaccid. I grinned like a direwolf once it became even harder than before. To test the waters I started fucking my love slowly and gently. I focused on the reactions of my body and my love's. After a few minutes I figured out which movements would send us spiraling into ecstasy.  
  
Once I understood this body I pushed it harder. I went fast and hard. Sweat was rolling down our bodies as she whimpered and moaned. I took one of her nipples between my fingers and squeezed.  
  
"Jor...aaaa..." Khaleesi moaned loudly. "Fass...sss...aaah! Aaah! Please!"  
  
In response I went even faster and harder. Her body shivered beneath me and I placed my hands on her tits to steady myself. I squeezed them as I noticed this body nearing its release. My mouth went onto my love's and we kissed like animals. She tried to roll but I wouldn't allow her. She smiled and kept trying to change our positions. It was so hard to play this game and fuck her at the same time. She started making progress to the point I was worried and th-  
  
"Ahhh!" Khaleesi yelled out in pure pleasure. "Ooooh! Pleeaaaaah!"  
  
"Fuc...fu....cccuck!" I yelled out as I came at the same time.  
  
I exited her and lay beside her. She looked at me and I smiled back. I took her hands in mine and wished this moment would never end. That we could embrace each other in bed and possibly fuck as the sun rose. After spending a moment mourning what could be, we both got dressed so Jon could be on his way.  
  
"See, you are a talented lover." Khaleesi said and gave me a final kiss on the lips. "Come back quickly."  
  
"I'm sure Ghost hasn't gone that far." I replied.  
  
The cold of the darkness was even harsher than before. Upon entering Ghost's body I stumbled and then quickly recovered from my mistake. Again the colors of the world were dimmed. Again the true way to experience life was through smells. Luckily Ghost hadn't traveled far and it was only a few short moments until I was in Khaleesi's bed.  
  
I jumped on her bed as she shut the door behind me. She was now wearing her night clothes. A large smile was on her face and she kissed the top of my head. I had gone into Jon's body which meant we could again fuck each other. At least once we found a suitable body for me to use.  
  
We slept with her curled up next to my body. One night, maybe soon in the future, I would be human when she fell asleep next to me.


	13. Vezhven Dozgo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah Mormont fights Bran Stark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how late this chapter was. I was having trouble keeping up with my usual schedule and then Hurricane Dorian came my way. Nothing happened to me, just a very windy night. Slept through the worst of it.

The morning had come too quickly over King's Landing. A few days ago a few of Euron's ships had been seen near the horizon. It didn't take much to guess that soon he would attack. Things happened quickly so we weren't unprepared for when the Greyjoy decided to try his hands at getting the Iron Throne. With two dragons it shouldn't be too hard to ensure the city's safety. But the man was clever enough to make me nervous about our chances of survival.  
  
I was on part of the wall looking onto the docks. Even though I wouldn't be involved in this battle, I wanted to observe something. One last look at the people who had fought death itself to be here today. While my love would be focused on destroying Euron and his fleet, I would attack Bran. There was no time to look for Azor Ahai and so we could only hope that was me. Or maybe I was one of the few that could kill the traitorous.  
  
Drogon and Rhaegal roared loudly as they completed one of their circles that went from the city to just beyond the horizon. I could imagine Khaleesi was restless as the waiting game of war did not suit her. She was in her prime when fire poured from Drogon's mouth. She was fire and blood like her ancestors before her. If only she weren't barren and I had my own body. What children we could fill the world with.  
  
"If we win this battle and you lose yours, we are all fucked." Tyrion said as he walked up beside me. "But all we ask is that you do your best."  
  
The Imp looked odd with armor on. Though, if all went according to plan, he would not have to swing the sword at his hips. Instead he would be in charge of the cities defenses if any of Euron's ships tried to breech the city. The Lannister's actions in the Battle of Blackwater had ensured he got this position. Though by the scent of fear leaving his body, I think he would have much preferred to be drinking while blood was spilt.  
  
"What if Euron invades the city while you are away?" Tyrion mused. "It is hard to kill a dragon as only their eyes are weak spots. The only reason the Targaryens had armor on their dragons was because they wanted to make sure an enemy dragon couldn't kill theirs. Euron is the sort of bastard who could shoot a dragon in the eye if he put his mind to it."  
  
Yes, he could do that. He had managed to flee the dragons which meant he understood them more than most. Added to that he was fearless in a way few man are. It was a foolish way, but it would mean he could keep his wits about him as he took the impossible shot. Would it be possible for him to make two impossible shots? What if Daenerys died? What if Jon plunged into the water below? Would my mind crumble if I happened to go into Drogon as he died?  
  
"We should have sent a raven to Winterfell." Tyrion said, his voice nearly a growl. "We need every man we can get."  
  
Of course the Imp was saying that merely so his mouth could move. He knew, as well as I, that contacting Winterfell was impossible at this point. Winterfell was where Bran resided and if there was any chance of fooling him, we had to take it. It could be that his sight was focused on the battle itself instead of the individual pieces. It could be that he was so certain of victory he couldn't begin to imagine defeat. It could be that I was Azor Ahai and would end him this day.  
  
My mind, as it had frequently today, turned to Jon Stark. He was someone deeply connected to family and those bonds had been strengthened due to nearly all of them dying. Eddard Stark had been beheaded for a crime he hadn't committed, Robb Stark had been killed for breaking a promise, Catelyn Stark had been caught in the wake of her son's mistake, and Rickon had died as a way for Ramsay Bolton to mentally torment Jon. Now only a few of the great House Stark survived. Arya Stark had become a killer for the love of her family, Sansa Stark had used every torment as a lesson, Jon Stark had been brought back to life for a reason no one had guessed, and Bran Stark had transformed into the enemy.  
  
He would want to protect his family and I wished it wasn't me who told him the truth about Bran. The truth that very soon Jon's own brother would have to be killed. There was no way to comfort the Stark, especially as I was in the body of his direwolf. It was good I couldn't speak and could forgo trying to comfort him. The most comfort I had given him was making him feel like he didn't exist for a short while.  
  
"You're sure that Ghost won't abandon me?" Tyrion asked nervously. "He'll stay by my side?"  
  
I nodded my head and the fear scent started to fade away from him. If only I could reassure him that there was no force that would pull the direwolf from his side. They were smart and loyal creatures. While wolves were not dumb, direwolves could think like a human. They could form deep bonds. What bond had Ghost formed with me? Was it loyalty to Jon or actual admiration from the creature that had allowed me to survive? Maybe one day I could wake him up enough to have my answer. But mere moments before a battle was not the time to start asking.  
  
The sounds started to die down as everyone had moved into position. Now all there was to do was wait and hope for the best. I looked at Tyrion and imagined coming back only to discover his corpse. He was annoying and yet he had grown on me like a disease. It would be a terrible thing to miss him.  
  
"Stay safe, Jorah." Tyrion said as our ears picked up the sounds of an oncoming battle.  
  
Before I could start to leave my body, the Lannister scratched me behind my ear. The simple act gave me more comfort than he could ever know. Ghost's body lost tension and my mind was treated to warmth. If only I could give Tyrion some comfort, but that wasn't possible. There was no human equivalent of being scratched behind the ear. Even if I could speak, there would be no words equal to what he had done.  
  
It was effortless for me to leave my body now. I merely thought of opening a door and suddenly my soul was souring towards the clouds. Time broke apart as I tried to feel for Bran's mind. I saw many different outcomes of the battle but all ended the same. In some Daenerys lived while in others she was horribly disfigured before she found peace in death. In some Daenerys and Jon lost control of their dragons and King's Landing was burned down. In some Euron was victorious. But in all of them Bran was victorious and no one was able to stop him.  
  
I felt Bran touch my mind and force me to focus on the future. He was a king beloved by his subjects. It was by his orders that weirwood trees were planted around Westeros so that he would never have to go anywhere without his power. His greensight allowed him to see the future and incur love or fear whenever he desired them. Bran's laughter seemed to shake my entire universe.  
  
He showed me the many millennia of his reign until he decided to end humanity. Though the men who lived then would see it as themselves who destroyed each other. It was a story that would be easy to believe if you didn't see the monster in Bran's eyes. If I failed in killing him, this was the future that awaited the people of Westeros as well as the world. I doubted one as powerful or vengeful as the Three-Eyed Raven would be content if even one human was left alive.  
  
WHY DO YOU FIGHT YOURSELF, JORAH? Bran asked.  
  
I found myself in my body in front of a large raven with three eyes. His eyes were as bright as fresh blood and the three of them seemed to mock me. Ravens seemed to have joy in death that was unnerving after a battle. Now to look in Bran's eyes and know that the blood in his eyes would one day be reflected in humanity's demise made me want to run away.  
  
YES, RUN. Bran hissed. THIS IS NOT YOUR FIGHT.  
  
"Why?" I asked. "My love and my people will die if you have your way."  
  
BUT YOU ARE NO LONGER HUMAN. YOUR FATE IS NO LONGER BOND TO THEIRS.  
  
For a moment I thought Bran's voice sounded more like a concerned parent rather than an angry demigod. Had it been because he wanted to spare me from his wrath that he had made sure my body had been burned? Had he grown to like me and done the only thing to make sure I was spared? I doubted if he had such pity for me that the information could be a weapon. A monster like him couldn't be swayed from his chosen path.  
  
"It is!" I yelled out.  
  
I knew I couldn't pull out Heartsbane and attack Bran, I would have to do so with my mind. I focused on the large bird before me and imagined it being torn in two. The only thing to happen was that he laughed at me and my mind felt like it was shattering into pieces. I yelled out in pain as I attempted to attack Bran harder with my mind.  
  
YOU ARE NOT A THREAT TO ME. Bran said with a loud laugh. YOU WILL NOT BE JORAH MORMONT FOR ALL OF TIME. ONE DAY YOU WILL FORGET YOURSELF. STOP ACTING LIKE YOU CAN ESCAPE YOUR FATE!  
  
"You showed me the future if you live." I replied and felt as if I were sweating. "How can I stand aside and let everyone die?"  
  
YOU WILL OUTLIVE DAENERYS TARGARYEN AND EVERYONE ELSE YOU EVER KNEW. YOUR BODIES WILL DIE AND YOU WILL LIVE. YOU ARE NOT HUMAN. WHY ARE YOU FOOLISH ENOUGH TO BURDEN YOURSELF WITH THEIR FATE?  
  
"I may be mere spirit now, but that doesn't change who I am. The bodies I wear do not change who I am."  
  
Instead of trying a purely mental battle, I took out Heartsbane and ran at Bran. He laughed as my sword bounced off of his flesh. Each time metal went against flesh, a sharp pain shot through my entire being. Pain did not begin to describe what he was doing to me. He was making me sad, angry, and every other emotion to their most extreme. The beauty and pain of every feeling made me fall down.  
  
YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T DEFEAT ME. Bran said and closed a talon around me. YOU KNOW THE FUTURE AS WELL AS I DO. THERE IS NO POINT TO THIS FIGHT. THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO BUT CAUSE MORE HARM TO YOURSELF.  
  
"You'll have to kill me if you want me to stop fighting." I replied. "I will not stop fighting you as long as I draw breath."  
  
I WILL NOT DESTROY A MERE ANNOYANCE. THERE ARE BENEFITS TO KEEPING TOYS AROUND.  
  
Was that sadness I felt in his mind? Sadness about having to kill me while knowing it was in his best interest to end my life now? Was that fear I felt in his voice? Yes, it was far back but the fear was there. That had to mean there was a chance I could kill him! Even if I weren't Azor Ahai, maybe I could kill him. Even the Night King was a danger to him.  
  
I yelled at the top of my lungs as I again attempted to harm Bran with my sword. We were both spirit and our attacks could only be as powerful as our beliefs. If I merely thought of myself as a danger to Bran, I would be. He had made a mistake of destroying my body and making me mere spirit. I now could harness the same power as him if only I believed.  
  
AH! Bran yelled out in pain.  
  
Before I had time to swing Heartsbane again or rejoice at the blood falling on me, my soul was thrown across time in an attempt to defeat me. He must have hoped that doing this would knock me out, or as much as I could be in this form, and I would awake to a world made in his image. I tried to focus my mind but it was hard with how far the Three-Eyed Raven was throwing me.  
  
Some of the images were of things that were familiar to me, even if they didn't happen. Such as Khaleesi and myself ruling the Seven Kingdoms. The thing that made me want to forget myself in this future was the child in my arm. She had my hair and her mother's eyes. It was so beautiful but I had to fight to get back to Bran, even though the deepest parts of me were telling me to stay.  
  
After a lifetime I was able to pull myself away from that impossible future. Whatever I was seeing couldn't happen. I was living on an island with something in my mouth that had smoke coming off of the end not in my mouth. Adding to this oddity was the clothing on myself and others.  
  
This was easier to race away from and soon enough impossible and possible futures were racing all around me. Yet no matter how much I tried, Bran was not in my reach. He would never be in my reach until he willed it to be so. Feeling guilty, I gave up the fight and allowed myself to drift endlessly in this world I found myself in.  
  
As my mind became lost I saw the only face that truly mattered to me. Daenerys Targaryen. Khaleesi. She stood stood by me as I continued to fall down. A tear went down my cheeks as I watched her hair blow in an invisible wind. There was such hope in her eyes and I wondered why anyone thought I could have ever hoped to win this fight. I could fight as long as it was my body against another. My spirit was not strong enough for this battle.  
  
"Jorah." Khaleesi said with such joy in her voice that I cried out.  
  
I wanted to justify my surrender to her but my mouth couldn't form the words. Everything that would've left my lips rung hollow. Just as I found words that seemed best, a dragonglass shield formed in her hands. My memory of the Battle of Winterfell filled my head and a shiver went down my spine. The image on the dragonglass was a red dragon with three heads, the symbol of House Targaryen. She wanted me to have a piece of her for protection.  
  
"Thank you, Khaleesi." I said once she handed it to me.  
  
"I wish I could fight with you, Jorah." Khaleesi replied. "I owe you so much that can never be repaid."  
  
"You ha-"  
  
Before I could hope to reassure my love, she had disappeared. In her place was a woman I had never met but seemed familiar in a way I didn't understand. Her skin was as pale as Khaleesi's which made me think she was of Valyrian descent. Her fiery and bloody red hair confused who her ancestors could be. I had never heard of a Targaryen that had hair like that. And her eyes were a shade of green that no House could lay claim to. Who was she? Why was she so familiar as if my soul knew her?  
  
The woman took her sword from its scabbard and handed it to me. The hilt was silver with a gold dragon wrapped around it. Unlike the Targaryen dragon it only had one head. My hands tightened around the hilt as I looked in her eyes.  
  
"Name it." She said in a voice that sounded like a harsh Northern wind.  
  
"Lightbringer." I answered and fire enveloped the blade.  
  
I nearly dropped it as the meaning of what happened did not escape me. I was Azor Ahai and it was my fate to kill Bran Stark. But how? Suddenly the knowledge of how to win the battle was in my mind. I knew what had to be done but now...now it seemed much too cruel to be true. Yet no matter how I wanted to deny the truth, I couldn't.  
  
Suddenly I felt Bran release me from his talon and my back crashed onto the floor. The dragonglass shield and Lightbringer were nearly freed from my grip upon impact. For the first time in the entire fight I felt fear pulsing from the Three-Eyed Raven. I got up and prepared myself for the slaughter that would soon happen. The slaughter that had to happen for Westeros to be safe.  
  
"Are you afraid now?" I asked with a grin as we circled around each other, his talons silent as they made contact with the floor.  
  
YOU ARE AZOR AHAI, AS I KNEW YOU WOULD BE. Bran said angrily. DON'T MAKE ME KILL YOU.  
  
"You won't have the chance."  
  
I CAN SENSE YOU KNOW HOW TO WIN THIS FIGHT, BUT I ALWAYS FIGURED YOU TO BE MUCH TOO HONORABLE TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE.  
  
"That was your mistake."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone who reads Animorphs will probably guess how I wanted to describe a cigarette and then had to desperately restrain myself from doing so.
> 
> As for the mysterious red-haired woman...she was an easter egg I decided to include for my readers who read the [Rin Duology](https://archiveofourown.org/series/551734) and [Consequences of Ice and Fire](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1030298). I thought of her having a bigger part during this chapter but decided that would be much too self-indulgent.


	14. Khal ki Vorsa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah Mormont and Bran Stark's fight comes to a horrifying end.

I ran at the Three-Eyed Raven with my flaming sword. The heat from Lightbringer grew brighter as I grew more confident. Westeros would be saved as I did a horrible deed. Maybe the stain would forever be on my soul, but it had to be done. The more certain I became the higher the flames rose from my blade.  
  
Bran attempted to confuse my mind to the point I lost any semblance of self. But those tricks didn't work on me now. I had Daenerys' shield and the legendary sword, there was nothing that could stop me now. The demigod's pitiful screams reverberated throughout my soul. Lightbringer sliced off one leg which caused him to cry out even louder.  
  
In the moment I allowed myself to feel joy, I was sent through Bran's early memories. This was the time before he was thrown out of the tower and began his journey. He was just an innocent boy. How I wished I could warn him of everything that was to happen. It would have been better if he had died from the fall. Did I feel anything for him or just the monster he had become?  
  
I yelled out and pushed my mind closer to him. Each flame shot out like thin pieces of thread and lead me to him. I fell down towards him with my sword leading the way. Bran sent out a beam of flames to meet me and Daenerys' shield protected me. All I had to do was hold on as it grew warm enough to melt off my flesh. But it couldn't unless I believed it so. With a cry of pain Lightbringer went easily into the demigod's flesh until he disappeared from my reach.  
  
YOU COULD HAVE HAD EVERYTHING! Bran cried as he appeared in front of me. BOW TO ME AND THIS WILL BE FORGOTTEN!  
  
"You don't think I'll do it?" I asked angrily and went into a defensive posture. "You don't think I'm strong enough?"  
  
I KNOW YOU. YOU ARE CONFIDENT NOW, BUT YOU WON'T BE ONCE THE CHOICE IS IN FRONT OF YOU.  
  
He was right that fighting him was easy. But killing his heart would test me to my limits. It was so easy to think about faltering. That I would hold my sword to it and then burst into tears. The thing that kept the Three-Eyed Raven alive was not just how well protected its heart was, but the very human feeling of pity. If only the Night King had taken this task from me.  
  
Bran pulled out his own sword and came towards me. He was as fast as he thought and that was faster than the human eye can track movement. My belief in the ability to fight him was the only reason he didn't kill me that moment. We twisted and turned in the deadliest of dances. If my fear wasn't in danger of consuming me, I would've gone for his heart in an instant.  
  
The scenery changed from Bear Island to Dragonstone to Meereen and to the cold beyond the Wall. My feet were barely able to keep up with the changing ground. There was no choice now but to end this game once and for all. To brave the obscene and make sure the Westerosi people didn't have to crumble under Bran's reign. No, the Three-Eyed Raven's reign.  
  
To make the transition easier for myself, I ran at the Three-Eyed Raven and found myself in the far north. I turned around and saw an ancient weirwood tree, the same where Bran had died. Steeling myself I sheathed Lightbringer and walked inside even as every nerve in my body told me to run away.  
  
"Hello?" A scared boy's voice asked.  
  
His voice was frightened and I wished I could comfort him. But there was no comfort to be had when you were the heart of the Three-Eyed Raven. I took my time walking to where the boy was sitting and finally was forced to look into familiar eyes. I was forced to look into Bran Stark's eyes.  
  
"Who are you?" The boy asked.  
  
"I am Ser Jorah Mormont of Bear Island." I said and focused on keeping my soul here even as the Three-Eyed Raven tried to tear me away.  
  
"Didn't you flee into exile? How did you get all the way here?"  
  
"I came back to Westeros when Queen Daenerys Targaryen made her way across the Narrow Sea."  
  
"I...I remember that. It was a dream. Where are Meera, Hodor, and Summer?"  
  
Meera Reed. Hodor. Summer. His memory must end just before he escaped. That was the night when Hodor and Summer died. If I were still in Ghost's body I would feel as if a family member had died. The direwolves were close even though they had not seen each other since they were pups. Could I tell Bran such things or would that cause enough confusion for me to be flung far away from the Three-Eyed Raven?  
  
"Do you know where you are?" I asked.  
  
"I'm beyond the Wall learning how to be the next Three-Eyed Raven." Bran replied and pointed to the man on one of the walls. "That man is teaching me."  
  
The old heart of the last Three-Eyed Raven. A man who had been consumed by the ancient power and lost himself in the end. There was no controlling what this wicked demigod was. Bran truly thought he was in this weirwood tree and nothing I could say would convince him. But I had to try if only to ease my own conscience.  
  
"You're not here." I said and my grip tightened on Daenerys' shield. "The Night King attacked killing Hodor and Summer. You and Meera escaped. But you were changed."  
  
The Three-Eyed Raven pulled at my soul and I resisted. I was Azor Ahai, the last person capable of ending the demigod's reign of terror. It was up to me to make sure that he didn't destroy Westeros. If the Westerosi people were to kill themselves, that would be their choice. Not the choice of the nothing.  
  
"No, I've been here." Bran replied.  
  
"For how long?" I asked.  
  
"A few hours, maybe. My head has been hurting so it might have been longer."  
  
"When does your head hurt?"  
  
"If I start getting too worried."  
  
Bran had his headaches whenever he started to question the illusion. Of course it would be pain that the Three-Eyed Raven chose. The creature only knew how to hurt others, helping was a foreign concept to it. It also wouldn't consider a human worthy of pity. I had been the only one it had shown pity and now I would kill it. There was no hope for the demigod and I'd feel no sadness when it died.  
  
"Your headaches occur when you start to see the illusion." I told him.  
  
"Where am I?" Bran asked.  
  
"I assume in Winterfell. If I can't accomplish my task then you'll soon arrive in King's Landing."  
  
"Why would it be horrible if I arrive in King's Landing? Why can't I remember leaving?"  
  
The world around us started to shake and I knew there wasn't much time left. If I waited too long then the Three-Eyed Raven would assume control and leave me floating until my mind could concentrate again. I took out Lightbringer and looked at Bran. The boy was innocent in all of this. He wasn't evil and yet it was his blood that would need to be spilled. If only there was more time to explain and justify everything.  
  
"The Three-Eyed Raven is not your friend." I said. "He is using your body and plans to kill humanity one day. First in Westeros and then he will make his way to every odd corner of this world."  
  
"You're lying." Bran replied softly.  
  
"Then why is there doubt in your voice?"  
  
"I don't know why Meera, Hodor, and Summer have been gone so long. But that just means you are powerful, not that you are right."  
  
"There is not enough time to prove myself to you."  
  
"Try."  
  
The world shook again and I realized only I was feeling the motion. Bran's very human eyes remained focused on me while his body always stayed relaxed. This wouldn't have been the case if he saw the movement. It took all of my strength to buy myself just a few seconds to remain with Bran. With more strength than I knew I had, those seconds turned into minutes.  
  
"Are you just going to remain silent?" Bran asked.  
  
"No, of course not." I replied. "The Children of the Forest created the White Walkers as a way to attack humans. They only turned to the First Men when the Night King managed to resist their magic. Why would the Three-Eyed Raven, much beloved by the Children, be anything but an enemy?"  
  
"They learned that humans are worth something."  
  
"Sometimes hatred doesn't die."  
  
Again the world started to shake and this time I heard the Three-Eyed Raven's voice in my soul. There was no more time to convince the boy. No more time to slowly explain why I had to kill him. It was unfair to him and I wished dearly this wouldn't be his fate. But if I paused for any longer then Westeros would fall.  
  
"May the gods forgive me, Bran Stark." I said with my eyes closed. "But if I don't kill you now then Westeros will fall."  
  
"No! There ha-" Bran's reply was cut off when my sword went through his heart.  
  
Unbidden cries left my lips. It was not fair to see his dying eyes crying for answers. They cried for more time. They also accused me of being a monster. It should not have happened this way. Bran should have willingly chosen death so that he could save the people of Westeros. It should have been a heroic ending for the boy. His death should have been cause for celebration from House Stark.  
  
NO! The Three-Eyed Raven cried out in utter pain and confusion. YOU WERE TOO WEAK! YOU WERE TOO WEAK TO HAVE DONE THIS! HOW!  
  
I kept a strong grip on Lightbringer even as Bran struggled to breathe in an attempt to defy death. He was not that strong nor could I ever let him be. He had to die now so I twisted the sword and the scenery started to burst into flame. The flames followed the roots in an intricate design which caused the Three-Eyed Raven to yell even louder. If not for Bran's death, I would be crying out in victory.  
  
I TRUSTED YOU. The Three-Eyed Raven said quietly. YOU WERE SOMEONE I COULD TRUST.  
  
"If you hadn't intended to kill all of humanity, I would feel sorry for you." I replied angrily. "Bran Stark died because of your lies. He could have lived a long and happy life without you. Don't expect for me to feel anything for you after today."  
  
I WOULD EXPECT NOTHING LESS FROM SUCH AN-AH!  
  
For a moment it had seemed as if the demigod would be able to fight through the pain. Yet he succumbed to death just like any other mortal. The thought was a very comforting one as the flames started to lick at my skin. The thought helped me stay in place as the world started to collapse in a fiery haze around me. I wanted to stay by Bran as long as I could. The innocent boy that had become entangled in a world he could not hope to comprehend.  
  
Bran breathed his last breath and the world around me started to lose its color. Unlike direwolf sight that viewed the world in pale shades, the world was losing its very essence without something to hold it together. I kissed Bran's forehead and allowed my soul to travel from this place. It was hard to do since I didn't want to live with the blood on my hands.  
  
The only reason I was able to leave that world was because I needed to tell the others what had happened. I needed to tell them that the nothing was dead for good. Would Jon ever forgive me?  
  
The burning tree and screams of the demigod were quickly gone and replaced by battle. I had been through countless conflicts and understood Ghost's body as if it were my own, so it was only a few minutes until I adjusted to the scenery. It took me longer to fight as Bran's dying face continued to tear at me. At least humans were free of the Three-Eyed Raven's reign before it had even begun. I had to take solace in that or I'd fall apart.  
  
I jumped into the water as arrows came at me. Some of Euron's men had reached the city. Not enough to take it but enough to cause a problem. Especially now that I didn't have Lightbringer or any other sword. It was easy to swim through the water as I thought of a line of attack. I looked up at the mast of a ship and growled as I couldn't see the sigil. Closing my eyes I focused on if I could smell anything familiar on the vessel.  
  
I dove underwater as an arrow came towards me. There was my answer. It was not friendly. Direwolves weren't able to hold their breathes for a long amount of time and water made it near impossible to smell anything. I opened up one eye briefly to figure out where the ship was and swam quickly for it. There wouldn't be much time to get on the ship once I was able to breathe air again. But would I ever really die? The demigod had implied I was immortal and I doubted he would lie to me on such a matter. So if I didn't admire Ghost, I could leave him to die if needed. Unfortunately I wasn't that heartless.  
  
Pushing aside my fear I climbed as fast as I could up the ship. It was hard but the thought of Ghost dying gave me strength. When I was close to the top I heard a dragon roar which caused the arrows to stop flying.  
  
[I'm alive.] I said to Khaleesi, Drogon's distinct colors clearly visible even to direwolf eyes. [The Three-Eyed Raven is dead.]  
  
I fell onto the deck and prayed she hadn't picked up on my sadness. Prayed that my few words to her didn't cause the battle to be lost. I didn't give Euron's men anytime to recover from the sight of Drogon. I didn't allow them to regain their footing at all. Instead I attacked with all the pain and guilt I felt over Bran's death. There was no mercy I would give them.  
  
For awhile my mind got lost in the haze of battle and I forgot myself. I didn't want the memories now in my head. I didn't want to feel the pain that was threatening to break me. The ease of fighting helped me forget everything and I wished I could have stayed there. But when I heard swords dropping onto wood I came back to reality. I was Ser Jorah Mormont, Azor Ahai, and murderer of Bran Stark. I could not, in good faith, kill men that had surrendered.  
  
I jumped off the ship and took relief in the water. It was a calming thing to feel water go across my body. I attempted to get lost in Ghost's instincts as my reality was too painful to bear. I couldn't go to Khaleesi with my mind as conflicted as it was. She should be rejoicing in victory and the fact the Iron Throne was now hers. Cersei was no longer needed and there was no one that could ever forgive her. There was no doubt in my mind the Lannister would be executed shortly.  
  
My head turned as I heard the sound of people shouting. They were too far away for me to see but I could imagine what was happening. Northerners, Dothraki, and Unsullied were cheering. For the last two groups this was what they had fought years for. They had supported Khaleesi and now their hard work was about to be rewarded. Though for the nomads that wished to live in Westeros, their journey was just beginning. They couldn't continue their lifestyle in this land.  
  
After swimming for awhile my ears picked up waves crashing against sand. At least I assumed that was the case. I had grown used to how waves sounded when crashing against ships, docks, and cliffs. This sound was different and I headed to it. My direwolf side didn't want to stop swimming but the human part needed to sleep.  
  
The beach was enclosed on two sides by cliffs. There was only a narrow entrance to enter it by. Before my paws felt earth, I looked to see if I would have to swim or if I could climb to the city. My nose picked up the scent of grass and I could see a path that no human could ever hope to traverse. It was fortunate, then, that I was not human anymore.  
  
I had died once and come back to life. When my paws felt the course sand, it felt like I had been resurrected again. The battle had been rough on Ghost and fulfilling my duties as Azor Ahai had been taxing on my mind. After getting just out of the reach of the waves, I lay down as my eyes started to close. I should go to Khaleesi and fall asleep in front of her. She should not worry that I was dead after she had declared victory. But there was no energy that I could muster. Maybe one of her men would have seen me swimming and reassured her.  
  
My worries quickly fled as the need to sleep overwhelmed me. The only thing I could hope for was that my dreams wouldn't be of Bran dying. Instead I wanted to dream of Khaleesi ruling the Seven Kingdoms and making love to her. I wanted to be with her to escape my pain. Or with the red-haired woman who could finally explain who she was.  
  
The last sound I heard before falling asleep was the music of waves crashing on the shore.


	15. Trial of Cersei Lannister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cersei Lannister is finally put on trial for her crimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was partially inspired by Jaime Lannister's trial in Season 8. Specifically how short and lackluster it was.
> 
> Cersei's trial in this chapter should have been longer but I hope I made it much more engaging than Jaime's.

A few weeks had passed since I killed Bran Stark and Euron Greyjoy was defeated. Jon had taken the news hard and locked himself away for a few days. He even had offered me his body again so that he could cease existing for a few hours. It had felt like he was asking me to violate him so I had refused.  
  
But today he didn't show any of his weaknesses in the throne room. He and Khaleesi had allowed Cersei Lannister to sit on the Iron Throne for just awhile longer. I stood between Jon and Khaleesi as we all faced Cersei. Our men were also in the room to watch this historic trial. This included Sansa who stood beside Jon. Yara and Theon Greyjoy were also standing by each other.  
  
I smelled tears that were dried on Sansa's face. She looked at me and had to turn away. There was no angry scent coming from her, just a great sense of emptiness. She had been beside Bran's body when I had killed him. From her account it had not been pleasant to witness. Since I hadn't been there I couldn't confirm if the cries were from Bran or the Three-Eyed Raven. I doubted that it mattered to her. All that mattered was that her brother had died in her arms.  
  
Arya Stark had stayed in Winterfell so that at least one of her family would remain there. It probably also had to do with the fact that her brother had died. Staying away from King's Landing meant she was free to mourn in peace. She was free to appear strong to the world and weak to herself.  
  
The sounds of Drogon and Rhaegal had quieted hours ago. Unlike the rest of us, the battle had made them grow even wilder. According to Khaleesi it had been hard to land Drogon for the brief time it took to dismount him. Him and his brother had chased each other for days afterward. Though they must have eaten in brief moments without landing. Or maybe we had all been asleep when they had rested.  
  
I looked at my love and I saw fire in her eyes. If she had her way today then Drogon would burn Cersei. The only thing stopping her was Jon who had different ideas about execution. Though he could be so angry now that he would throw his honor to the wind. We all had our limits, after all.  
  
"Are we going to wait all day?" Cersei asked and tried to appear bored. "I know how this play will end. It's not like I haven't been part of trials like this in the past."  
  
"I remember." Tyrion retorted with bitterness in his voice.  
  
The Imp had come into Khaleesi's service after he had been blamed of killing Joffrey Baratheon and later killed his own father. Cersei had testified against her own brother and Tywin had used the trial as an excuse to get rid of his least liked child. It seemed like he still retained some bitterness from that trial.  
  
"No, we won't make you wait." Jon said as his hand drifted briefly to Longclaw. "Cersei Lannister, you are blamed for various crimes to Westeros and its people. I, Jon Stark, and Queen Daenerys Targaryen will be the judges. You caused the death of most of my family and you didn't send forces to Winterfell like you promised."  
  
"You seem to have survived without my help." Cersei replied. "What would my forces have actually done? How many would be saved because Lannister soldiers were there to die?"  
  
If not for my direwolf nose, I might have been fooled into thinking she was calm. Though even if I were still human, a woman like the Lannister being unafraid of death wasn't likely. She had fought her whole life to keep breathing and gain power. At the day of her execution, she would be feeling helpless. Might she even question if the quest for power had been worth it?  
  
"You had still promised me your support to defeat the dead." Khaleesi said angrily. "You had still assured me that I could count on your men."  
  
"And you believed me?" Cersei replied with a chuckle. "Why would I help you to defeat the dead? Better my enemies die and to fight the remnants. The only reason I helped you to defeat Euron was because there was no other choice."  
  
"So you admit you never intended to send troops to me."  
  
"I'm surprised you aren't killing me outright."  
  
"Because we have honor."  
  
"Oh, that is how you get to sleep every night."  
  
Khaleesi looked angrily at the former queen and I growled. My love was honorable and fought every day to make sure she didn't fall as her father had. The Lannister had no right to insult the queen that would soon sit on the Iron Throne. It was not her place to question anyone's honor. But Cersei was about to die, why would she worry about anyone's anger?  
  
"You are also charged with committing incest." Jon said. "Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella Baratheon had only Lannister blood in their veins. You had sex with your twin brother. Who is, at this moment, growing closer to someone who isn't his kin."  
  
Sansa's calm facade broke and a smirk could briefly be seen on her lips. Jaime and Brienne of Tarth had continued to grow closer as the days continued. It was because of their bonding in Winterfell that neither had decided to come to King's Landing. I barred my teeth in the knowledge even Jaime had not cared enough to see Cersei before she died.  
  
"And for many generations House Targaryen committed incest." Cersei argued. "Why not ask the Targaryen if she would fuck her own kin?"  
  
"It is perfectly acceptable for Targaryens to commit incest." Khaleesi retorted and avoided looking at Jon. "A Lannister, on the other hand, does not have the right to sleep with her siblings."  
  
"So you're no different than your ancestors. From what Tyrion told me before, you want to break the wheel. You want to change the world to be better than before. Strange then that you use things your family defended for generations."  
  
"Sometimes they were right. What woman would I be to deny that fact?"  
  
I could smell fear scent coming off of Khaleesi. Cersei must have known how badly her words would hurt my love. The woman I had dedicated my life to wanted to push the darkness away from her. It hurt her to realize how much she still had to work on to become better than before. Now with her attempt to burn King's Landing to the ground behind her, she was even more afraid about what she could become.  
  
"We know you were implicit in the murder of King Robert Baratheon." Jon said as calmly as he could.  
  
"If it were any other day, I'd ask you for proof." Cersei replied. "But as I'm going to die anyways, I'll assume you have proof you're not telling me."  
  
"My recently deceased brother, Bran Stark, told me." Sansa said with barely restrained cruelly. "If it were any other day, I'd gather all the evidence for you. But you're going to die anyways. Everyone knows at least some of the crimes you are guilty of."  
  
Cersei had not expected the Stark girl to speak. She must have expected Sansa to remain silent as Jon and Khaleesi spoke. The Lannister had never seen Sansa as anything other than a scared girl. The young woman in front of Cersei was much different than the one who had fled the city so long ago. The Lannister looked scared from the coldness in Sansa's eyes.  
  
"And how did your brother die?" Cersei asked cruelly.  
  
"That is not your concern. He was more honorable than you are and he was so much younger." Sansa replied.  
  
"I am going to die soon, why would it matter if you told me?"  
  
"I am the Lady of Winterfell and I have no need to answer to traitors."  
  
It wasn't common knowledge about my fight against the Three-Eyed Raven. Most didn't even know where I had been during the battle against Euron. It wouldn't be good for the truth about Bran Stark to be revealed. Many wouldn't understand that he had been trapped while his body had been used by a monstrous force. Bran's name needed to be spotless as he was one of the few remaining Starks.  
  
"I did murder Robert Baratheon." Cersei said. "And why is that a crime? The fool was a horrible ruler and preferred whoring to being a king. Someday someone stronger would have murdered him. The only reason people don't praise me for killing him is the fact he wasn't like the Mad King. He didn't burn people with dragonfire. How he would love how his daughter uses her dragons."  
  
"I am sure he would be more pleased with you." Khaleesi said stoically. "You destroyed the Sept of Baelor with dragonfire. He never accomplished his task of burning King's Landing down with the substance."  
  
"That's why Jaim-"  
  
"That's why your brother killed my father."  
  
Cersei was a woman who cared for nothing but power. She only wanted to sit on the Iron Throne and rule the Seven Kingdoms. If things had gone differently it was likely her armies would've invaded the North to subdue the Northerners. Yet I smelled sadness and regret coming from her. Whatever horrible atrocities she had committed, she did love her twin. Albeit in a sadistic way. The scents coming from her were strong enough that I pitied her for a moment.  
  
"You should stop with this charade and kill me." Cersei said and managed to keep the pain from her voice. "Everyone here knows you don't intend to let me live."  
  
"This is a fair trial." Khaleesi argued. "The only reason you think it's a charade is because you know the crimes you have committed. You know you don't deserve mercy."  
  
"You really believe your lies, don't you?"  
  
I looked at Jon and saw different emotions pulling at his face. He wanted to tell the truth but he didn't want to lose the loyalty of his men. No one standing here wanted Cersei to live, she hadn't earned that loyalty from her followers, but it wouldn't look good to everyone for Jon to admit the truth. If I had a mouth I still wouldn't contradict my queen in front of others.  
  
"You have committed too many sins for you to survive today." Jon said right as Khaleesi was about to speak. "What ruler would Daenerys be if she allowed someone like you to live? You helped your king and husband die. You used wildfire inside of King's Landing. You committed the sin of incest. How could even the most kindhearted ruler allow you to live?"  
  
"You want me to live?" Cersei replied mockingly.  
  
"You killed Lord Eddard Stark, my father. I am not on your side."  
  
The Lannister nodded in understanding. Everyone in the room was happy at the confirmation Cersei would die. No one would mourn her or seek vengeance on those who killed her. It wouldn't surprise me if more than a few wanted me to tear her throat out. The thought of being the one to end her life pleased me. It had been a long time since I felt this amount of bloodlust. The direwolf side of my mind was ready to kill her and it took all of my strength to keep still.  
  
Khaleesi's stance told me that she wanted nothing more than to give Jon a verbal lashing. Yet she knew disagreeing with him now would be a poor political move. Everyone didn't want Cersei to live and there was no use denying the truth. Her stand for morality, no matter how false, could be seen as a defense of the Lannister. That was not something that the men gathered in the throne room could stand.  
  
"I guess we shouldn't keep the Lannister waiting." Khaleesi said. "She has not once tried to defend herself. Sansa, show us where Lord Eddard Stark was murdered."  
  
"With pleasure." Sansa replied with a wicked smile.  
  
Grey Worm and a few of the Dothraki lead Cersei to the rubble of the Sept of Baelor. All the way the commoners hurled perverted insults to the former queen. Although I couldn't voice my opinions of Cersei, I made up with my lack of voice with howls. I howled as loud as I could which scared people just as much as my love's dragons.  
  
"You destroyed the Sept of Baelor." Khaleesi said loudly as both dragons roared. "You used wildfire inside King's Landing. One of your many crimes."  
  
The commoners yelled out as Cersei was pushed down onto the rubble. She showed her first signs of fear as she shivered and refused to look at her executioner. Jaime had mentioned to Brienne that Cersei had believed that a younger queen would swiftly take her down. That the younger queen would take away everything dear to Cersei. Jaime believed the younger queen was Margaery Tyrell, though I would bet on Khaleesi. In any case that prophecy was true. Though I hadn't been meant to hear those words but direwolf senses ruined my honor in minor ways.  
  
"And in this place Lord Eddard Stark was unjustly executed." Khaleesi continued to a now confused crowd. "Eddard would never betray both his king and friend Robert Baratheon. That lie was made so that you would willingly allow such a noble person to die. I am not so controlled by my impulses that I'd kill you for something you had no way of knowing. If not for Cersei Lannister you would have known the truth."  
  
After a moment's silence the commoners again voiced their anger against Cersei. Like good rulers Jon and Khaleesi didn't stop the insults. The rage of the crowd helped ignite their own wrath. The Stark looked impatient for the Lannister's life to end. Even such a noble man could be lead to extreme emotions. Even such an unworthy man like myself could fulfill a prophecy. But had I really fulfilled the Azor Ahai Prophecy? Could something other than the Three-Eyed Raven be the Great Other? Did my grand destiny lead to some other great villain?  
  
"And who should get to kill this scum who called herself queen?" Khaleesi asked and then turned to Jon. "Why not Eddard's son? He took back Winterfell for his family. The blood of House Stark runs through his veins, the same blood that ran through Eddard. There is only one man that could ever be worthy to kill Cersei Lannister and it is him."  
  
"Are you sure?" Jon asked, embarrassment evident on his face. "Why not Sansa? Why not yourself?"  
  
"Sansa can't swing a sword as swiftly as you. I would burn her alive and Cersei deserves Westerosi justice. I'll give her that honor at least."  
  
Cersei stood up and I could smell the fear coming off of her. She knew there was no escape now. She knew that she would die without the love of Jaime. Yet even with the fear scent coming off of her, she was strong. She looked at Jon as if challenging him to kill her already. His scent was one of anticipation and I could hear the excitement in each breath. He prided himself on being honorable, but we all had our breaking points.  
  
"For Lord Eddard Stark, Robb Stark, and all those you sentenced to die." Jon said, keeping his voice steady. "Cersei Lannister, do you have any last words?"  
  
The Lannister glared at him. If she was going to die, she would not show any more signs of weakness. She would not shame her House or the name she had built for herself. If Cersei had been someone else, I would have pitied her. As it was I let out a low growl of anger.  
  
Jon unsheathed Longclaw and held it high in the air as Cersei glared at him. Grey Worm had to force her to kneel so that the execution could continue. The Stark's sword was soundless as it ended the Lannister's life. The moment her head hit the ground loud cheering erupted in the crowd. I howled in excitement and the dragons roared their own happiness as they flew overhead. I looked at Khaleesi and noticed a sad smile on her face.  
  
"You are our Queen, Daenerys Targaryen first of your name." Sansa said. "Forgive me for doubting you."  
  
"There is nothing to forgive, Lady Stark." Khaleesi replied. "I was a stranger and I had to prove myself."  
  
If not for my direwolf senses I would have assumed Sansa was making a show to make sure the North was kept safe. Maybe even independent. Khaleesi looked at the Stark with complete trust. Then all of us were swept up in a celebration that lasted until the sun set.  
  
Once the commotion had stopped, I found myself in the throne room with Khaleesi and Jon. My love still retained the sadness from earlier and I worried. There hadn't been time to ask her anything and now I wish I had made more of an effort.  
  
"I've dreamed of this moment for years." Khaleesi said and touched the Iron Throne. "It always seemed like my destiny was to rule the Seven Kingdoms. I came out of the fire unburnt with three dragons and a bloody star shot through the sky. I thought there was no other explanation for the signs. Yet now with the power in my grasp I can't take it. Daario was right, I'm a conqueror not a ruler. I would be a poor choice as queen now that Westeros has a chance at peace."  
  
[You're wrong.] I cried with my mind. [You will be a great queen, Khaleesi.]  
  
"Jorah, I have thought long and hard about my decision. Don't make me ruin a land because of your love."  
  
Jon looked scared as he knew where this conversation was headed. He was in this room which meant she would choose him to be king. It took a moment but he finally gathered himself.  
  
"I do not want power, Daenerys." Jon argued. "I am fine being Warden of the North. I am fine living my days out in Winterfell."  
  
"But Westeros needs you, not me." Khaleesi retorted. "The people love you more as you are from this land. I wish to live out my days on Bear Island with Ser Jorah Mormont. After seeking power for so long, I want nothing more than to live with no one knowing my name."  
  
"I can see I can't argue with you. I will do my best to make you proud. If you agree, I'd like Sansa as my queen."  
  
"You have my blessings. We'll give the announcement tomorrow."  
  
I would have argued but the moment Jon agreed, Khaleesi relaxed completely. Never in my time knowing her had I seen her so calm. So full of life. And the only thing I wanted was to make sure she was happy.


	16. Soma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One winter morning Jorah Mormont spends time with Daenerys Targaryen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter comes from the game by Frictional Gaming. Without saying any spoilers, the game focuses on the differences/similarities between mind and body. This theme is seen in Jorah Mormont's character arc over the course of the fic.
> 
> If you haven't yet played the game, please do. You won't regret it.

My feet hit the ground as the wind continued to rush through my fur. This morning the winter air was warmer than usual, a brief reprieve from the harsh weather. I stopped and looked at Bear Island. It had been years since Cersei Lannister had been executed and Khaleesi had given the Iron Throne to Jon Stark. In that time him and Sansa had ruled the Seven Kingdoms wisely. In that time Khaleesi had been left alone, for the most part, and we had been married. I turned my head back to the small cabin we called our home. After all the struggles we had found peace with each other.  
  
I heard his breathing and inhaled his scent. It had taken Khaleesi and myself many months, but we had finally found the perfect man's body for me to use. He looked similar to me but there were slight differences. Most importantly, he was a Northerner who had fought during the Battle of Winterfell. His loyalty was not in question. Usually he lived his own life but there were days we needed him. My feet quickly carried me to the cabin as anticipation gripped me.  
  
In the time I had been running around, Khaleesi had gotten up. Her smile had never been more beautiful than it was now. Ever since living on Bear Island she was happier and relaxed all the time. She would have been the greatest queen Westeros had ever known, I would always be certain of that, but she had chosen her own path. A path I would never dissuade her from. After seeing her happy for so long I never wanted her to feel any pain. We both looked toward the sky and saw Drogon flying with Rhaegal. Jon must be visiting Winterfell again, that was the only time Drogon saw his brother.  
  
"You're early." Khaleesi said when the man arrived.  
  
"I could see I was needed last night." The man said. "I would have offered myself but I needed rest. You two have a tendency to be...very active."  
  
"That we do."  
  
My wife smirked as the man stood still. He had told me before how unnerving the sensation of not existing was. So I gave him a few minutes to gather up his courage. He nodded at me and I was in his body. Over the years it had become easier to enter different bodies. Sometimes I even was in Drogon when Khaleesi rode him.  
  
"You go on and play." I told Ghost. "I'm sorry about how loud we are."  
  
I knew too well how clearly he could hear us. Now I didn't need to be in his body to imagine what he heard. But Ghost, as always, merely shrugged and ran to be with his own family. He had a wolf mate and a few cubs to raise.  
  
"Does it still bother you?" Khaleesi asked.  
  
"What?" I replied.  
  
"Living in his body. Not being human most of the time."  
  
"His body is my body. It bothers me sometimes to be in a human body. All my senses are limited when I am like I was. Your sense of hearing and smell are nonexistent. I don't know how I survived for all these years with my body hardly functional at all."  
  
Khaleesi's eyes were suddenly full of worry. This wasn't the first time I had mentioned how much I had preferred Ghost's body. It had become impossible, even when talking with a human mouth, to hide how little I liked my former people. She thought that I would one day refuse to enter any human to be with her.  
  
"I'm not going to stop loving you." I told her and took her hands in mine. "I need you for more than just your mind. I can't give that up."  
  
"So I'm the only thing keeping you sane?" Khaleesi replied with a sad smile. "And what happens when I die?"  
  
"The most important part of me will be gone. I don't know what will happen if I outlive you."  
  
It was entirely possible for me to outlive my wife. She was confined to the short life of a human and could not go into another body. She would grow old but I could choose a younger body. I couldn't continue to use this man as he deserved to finish the last of his days on his own terms. But maybe I could pass into the next realm when she did. Maybe we could go hand in hand to the great unknown.  
  
"I shouldn't have brought that up." Khaleesi apologized and kissed my lips. "Not this morning. I need this morning to be happy."  
  
"I am sure I can make you forget your worries very easily." I replied with a grin.  
  
"I am sure you and your mouth can make me forget everything."  
  
I ran my hands up her arms and stopped at her neck. One day she would age and the beauty of youth would fade away. Her face would become wrinkled but she would only become more beautiful to my eyes. My desire for her would never fade, of that I was absolutely sure. The fire in her eyes would go away when her last breath left her lips. We were more than just flesh and blood after all.  
  
"What are you thinking, my love?" Khaleesi asked as she lead me inside. "Something naughty I hope."  
  
"It depends what you earned." I smirked.  
  
"I helped destroy the Night King and remove Cersei from the Iron Throne."  
  
"That was years ago, my love, don't you have a more recent accomplishment to use?"  
  
"I brought stability to Bear Island and plan to make this House Targaryen's home. As soon as you give me children."  
  
Khaleesi wanted to remove all ties to power from her life. Though Dragonstone would remain for her future children if they ever wanted to claim it. She could turn from her former path, but she would not disgrace her House by abandoning such a place seeped in memories.  
  
"I think that is worth something." I said as she shut the door.  
  
"What is it worth?" Khaleesi replied with a smile.  
  
I put my hands on her hips but kept the rest of my body far enough away so she didn't feel my heat. Her body responded to the light touch by her hips attempting to get closer to me. I smiled at the sight. After all this time she still desired me even when I was in another's body. She needed me in her even if she could never again feel my original cock.  
  
"I think that is what you earned." I whispered into her ear.  
  
"Don't tease me, my love." She moaned and I felt my cock grow hard.  
  
She had commanded armies and enchanted men to her side. Yet with my hands on her hips, she was just a woman. I kissed her from her ear to her neck. Each kiss was gentle and maddened me as much as her. One of my hands slowly made its way to her cunt. My fingers were on her inner thigh when I felt her wetness. I let out a low groan.  
  
"Not easy no-" Khaleesi started when she suddenly let out a loud moan.  
  
My other hand went under the top of her nightgown. A thin white piece of clothing that did nothing to hide her from the cold. But that wasn't the point of it. The point of it was to make it easier for me to get to her skin. Her cries of pleasure increased as I squeezed her tits and played with her nipples. The air around us seemed to heat up like a summer in Essos.  
  
Our mouths came together and our kisses were passionate. We had quickly lost any sense of humanity as our bodies cried out. Khaleesi's hands worked to get my pants off of me. I would've helped her but my hands couldn't leave her. I could not spend any moment away from her skin.  
  
When she successfully pulled down my pants, she moved away from my touch. She went on her knees and slowly put my cock in her mouth. I moaned as she started to suck. The top of her tits were easily seen and I knew where I would come. After only a moment I could no longer stand up so I sat on the edge of the bed.  
  
As my body started to climax I gently pushed her head away from my cock. The second her head moved from me, I came on her tits. I nearly ripped off my shirt as she licked away the remnants of cum on my cock.  
  
I held my hand out to her and she took it. Once she was standing in front of me I used my mouth and tongue to clean her tits. Her skin was so soft, warm, and inviting. By the way she moaned I could tell it was hard for her to stand. Once I was satisfied I helped her take the nightgown off. The morning light accentuated her perfect body.  
  
Khaleesi put her hands on my shoulders and I sucked on her tits. Even now I could taste myself mixed with her sweat. She was perfect and I yearned to pull her on my cock. But when I buried myself deeply inside of her was her decision to make. There was nothing I loved more than being under her control.  
  
"Jor...aaaaaaaaaah!" Khaleesi cried out as she sat down on my lap.  
  
I moved backwards onto the bed so she could get down to the business of riding me. As she started fucking me I put my hands on her ass to help my love keep steady. The pace she had set for herself was more dragon than human. She cried out as she came over and over. I didn't know how much time passed as she rode me. Time seemed to slow down and speed up at once. Sometimes we would kiss and other times I'd bite the skin that came close enough to me. A few times I bit and sucked her tits.  
  
Without thinking about the action first, I turned so that now my love was underneath me. My body couldn't handle being ridden anymore. Now it demanded agency of its own. I took Khaleesi's wrists in my hands and put her hands over her head. With each thrust the pain of not being able to touch me made her cry out.  
  
"Ple...aaaaah!" She moaned. "Let meeee! Aaaah! Joraaaaah!"  
  
I kissed her hard on the lips and she returned my kiss with more passion than I had given her. This was the only way she could touch me now with anything other than her cunt. I felt my body starting to approach the edge. The feeling of absolute pleasure made me fuck her even harder. She cried out as she came yet again and I yelled out in ecstasy at the sight below me.  
  
With one final thrust I came inside her. Once my eyes were able to open again I looked into the tired eyes of my love. Even though we were both tired I couldn't help but continue to fuck her. It was calming like the wind against my fur. After a few minutes I was able to get myself out of her. I rested my head against a pillow and she rested her head against my chest.  
  
"Don't fall asleep, Jorah." Khaleesi said nearly silently as each moan had taken bits of her voice away.  
  
"You need a break before we do anything else." I told her.  
  
"And after that we need to fuck again until the sun sets."  
  
I didn't want to tell her that I was beginning to yearn for the body I now considered mine. The body with fur and paws. Being human after all these years had become an odd experience. Most of the time I couldn't inhabit this man's body. Yet I would push my unease away as I needed Khaleesi physically. She would live for such a short time while I could live for eternity.  
  
"And beyond that if our bodies allow." I replied with a smile.  
  
"You sure you won't want to howl at the moon?" Khaleesi teased.  
  
"Not if you open your legs."  
  
She ran her hand down my chest and started playing with my chest hair. Her body had been pleasured and yet she craved more. I couldn't wait until my cock felt her cunt again. But these moments of playful banter were important as they added to pleasure later on. Foreplay was an art that some men decided to forgo. I was not such a callous a man as that.  
  
"This body is good." Khaleesi said. "But yours was better. I shouldn't have denied you for so long. I could have had more memories to hold onto."  
  
"The important thing is that you do have memories of the body I was born in." I reassured her. "You have memories to hold onto. Don't blame yourself for being a young woman. Your heart was broken and you needed to find some comfort."  
  
"You would have pleasured me in the way I needed to be. The type of pleasure I could have escaped in."  
  
"But you had feelings for me when we first met, being with me would risk your heart breaking again."  
  
"I shouldn't have been so weak."  
  
"So says every person that has ever lived."  
  
All human bodies felt things relatively the same. But there were always differences. This body had a good sized cock and endurance, though the slight differences did make me confused from time to time. This man's eyesight saw Khaleesi as more than beautiful, but I would never again see my love like when I had first met her.  
  
"Do you miss your body?" Khaleesi asked.  
  
"I sometimes do." I told her. "Such as whenever I look at you I miss how I used to see you. But I have you and being by your side is all I've ever wanted. I have to hang onto that or risk madness."  
  
I wanted my old body back, but I didn't truly care about being human anymore. I didn't need a body to feel a little bit of normalcy. Nothing would ever bring my old life back and I had more than accepted that fact. After the Battle of Winterfell my mind had still clung to my old life but now I found beauty in my new life. Had the Three-Eyed Raven been right? Would I eventually forget the name Jorah Mormont? Would I one day forget Khaleesi and everything that was dear to me? Would my acceptance of being mere spirit lead to my downfall?  
  
That demigod had been horrifying and even years after his demise I feared him. He was cruel, but he cared for me in his own sick way. His words about losing myself could very well be fact. Sometimes I tried to outrun those thoughts but to no avail. Nothing could escape the truth. Not even Azor Ahai.  
  
I might be a coward at my death and continue on living in a world that would eventually become unrecognizable. Humans changed and grew, so why would the world ever stay the same? There would come a point when I couldn't find a place for myself. A time when the name Jorah Mormont had become less than legend. I would be forgotten and so have no chance to remember myself.  
  
The unknown future was more than frightening to think about. A world that was alien to me and that would see me become something different. If I had nothing holding me to the world and no way to go to the next life, my perception of life would change. Beauty would one day mean something incomprehensible to my present self. I might one day become something that people would worship as a god. While the world changed, people would always seek something greater than themselves.  
  
I looked into Khaleesi's eyes and smiled. The future would come like the force of nature that it was, but it couldn't take the present moment from me. It couldn't take her beauty from me. The world would change but this moment didn't follow those rules. Whenever I felt broken and that I could never find my purpose, this memory would be my comfort. I had to believe that or risk losing hope before she breathed her last breath.  
  
I ran my fingers through Khaleesi's hair and focused intently on every sensation. The sadness that one day this would end. The happiness of being so close to her, both physically and emotionally. The feeling of her hair and the way the morning light fell against it. My former queen knew my heart was pained but was allowing me my moment. What would I do without her? Who would I one day become?  
  
"I'm going to live for a long time." I said slowly. "I don't know if I'll be strong enough to let myself die. I don't know if I can die."  
  
"I miss not hearing your thoughts." Khaleesi replied with a sad smile. "It makes it harder for you to hide things in times like these. All I know is that you're hiding something, not what."  
  
"I'm glad to have my privacy. You don't want to know the dark paths my mind takes. You don't want to know how bleak the future looks for me without you by my side."  
  
"Then why continue?"  
  
"You are here with me. I don't know what the future has for me, but I have this moment. I have you. And the memory of you will last me for eternity."  
  
I kissed her deeply and she returned the gesture. Both of us kissed for reassurance and to solidify this moment in time. I loved her more than words could say and her feelings for me were just as intense. We had fought for each other and would enjoy our victory. Soon enough our reassuring kisses became something much more animalistic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems like forever ago that I watched Jorah Mormont die in the final season of Game of Thrones. It seems forever ago that my heart was ripped apart and I felt a great need to write this fic.
> 
> Thank you to all my readers that have had my back during this journey.

**Author's Note:**

> Remember to be respectful in the comments.


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